Jail 'challenged' by drugs, say inspectors

Up to 520 foreign national prisoners can be held at HMP Huntercombe

A prison was "particularly challenged" by potent illicit drugs which found their way into inmates' hands, inspectors have found.

HMP Huntercombe was visited by Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB), which said it was concerned by the number of prisoners who appeared to be under the influence of "known and unknown substances".

The prison, in Nuffield, Oxfordshire, has capacity for 520 foreign nationals - most of whom are deported after their sentences have ended - and was said to be "generally safe".

A Prison Service spokesperson said it acknowledged "there is more to be done" there to improve it.

IMB, which assesses prisons, immigration removal centres and short-term holding facilities, said inspectors were "concerned about the level of illicit items and drugs" entering the prison.

It said the jail saw a "significant increase" in drug taking in August and resources were reallocated at short notice to cope.

The prison's hot water system was "not fit for purpose" and showers on the wings and in its gym were "unreliable and often out of order", inspectors reported.

The "ageing" system was found to have caused "tremendous anxiety" because up to 70 prisoners, who have a limited time to wash, needed to wait for two working showers.

The hot water problems and "failing" central heating were found to be issues by the IMB for the last five years but it said it was still "unclear when work will start" to fix them.

It said it would "continue to press and monitor this issue of poor infrastructure until work begins and a new functional system is in place".

The Prison Service spokesperson added: "We welcome the IMB's recognition that HMP Huntercombe is generally safe and that staffing has improved significantly.

"But we acknowledge there is more to be done and will carefully consider these findings."