Counter-drone efforts rise as prison sightings revealed
Organised crime gangs are being targeted by the police and prison service as part of a nationwide crackdown on drone drops into prisons.
- Prison Service working with police to tackle threat of drones as part of Plan for Change
- Drone incidents up by 43 per cent in the last financial year, new data reveals
- Two recent counter-drone operations result in nine arrests
The move is backed by a new investment of £900,000 and designed to disrupt the in-flow of drugs and weapons that are destabilising prisons and putting staff and offenders at risk.
It builds on the £40 million already invested this year into prison security measures, including exterior netting and reinforced windows. Stopping the flow of drugs and weapons getting into prisons is a crucial step in gripping the prisons crisis the Government inherited to make streets safer, as part of the Plan for Change.
The news comes as data published today (31 July) reveals there were 1,712 drone incidents between April 2024 and March 2025 at prisons across England and Wales. This is an increase of 43 per cent compared to the previous 12 months.
The clampdown has already seen counter-drone operations at HMPs Manchester and Wandsworth leading to the swift arrest of nine individuals. Similar operations are planned in the coming months.
Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord Timpson, said:
The ease with which drones were operating over prisons was yet another sign of the chaotic prison system we inherited last July.
As part of the Plan for Change, we are tackling the organised crime gangs behind the drug supply routes so that our prisons can start cutting crime and stop creating better criminals.
One of the sophisticated drones recovered in the HMP Wandsworth operation had a value of £6,000, an extended flight time of 40 minutes and the ability to hold four loads at one time.
Four further arrests were made by West Mercia Police earlier this month for flying drones over high-security prison HMP Long Lartin.
Detective Superintendent of the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Claire McGuire said:
Tackling the use of drones to smuggle drugs, weapons, and other illicit items into prisons is one of our top priorities. These activities fuel organised crime and pose serious risks to both staff and inmates.
We continue to work closely with national partners including His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service, the National Crime Agency, local police forces, and intelligence teams to disrupt this criminal behaviour and prevent contraband from entering prison estates. By sharing intelligence and coordinating operations, we are strengthening our collective response to this growing threat.
The latest Safety in Custody statistics, also published today, highlight the alarming levels of violence across the prison estate, with 20,570 prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and 10,568 assaults on staff in the 12 months to March 2025. Reducing the availability of contraband in prisons plays a key role in reducing violence across the estate.
Earlier this week, a trial into the use of tasers began across adult male prisons in England and Wales – the first time their use is being trialled in the prison estate. The Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, has also announced the rollout of protective body armour for those staff working in prison settings holding the most dangerous offenders.
Further information:
- Drone incidents data is available in the HMPPS Annual Digest
- Latest Safety in Custody statistics are available here