POLICE and prison bosses have combined to tackle the menace of drugs reaching inside Hindley prison (writes Malcolm Ryding)

Supt Malcolm Howells and prison governor Chris Sheffield say their united aim is: "To prevent the next victim."

And they warn that anyone found taking drugs into the prison, which has an operational capacity of 547 men between the ages of 15 and 21, will be charged with supplying drugs.

"It maybe that people feel under pressure and they want to help someone out. But however small the drug amount is they are supplying and traffiking and we will prosecute," said Mr Howells.

Prison authorities make random surveys of 100 new inmates every six months to find the level of the drug problem which, says Mr Sheffield, has changed with cannabis use dropping.

"Part of this maybe the shift in the prison catchment area. Within Greater Manchester we have been receiving more inmates from Leigh and Wigan and we believe the wider drugs strategy which is being tackled by the local authority and the prisons service is getting through to inmates."

Mr Sheffield said there was a four-pronged approach to drugs in prison:

regular drugs sweeps of the prison by specially trained drugs dogs from other prisons

drugs tests - 10% of the prison population are tested each year to give an indication of the types of drugs getting into prison

working with individuals to tackle their drugs problem

tackling health issues such as Hepititis B and HIV.

And Mr Howells said his officers co-operated closely with the prision authorities and were able to respond to any intelligence fed to them.

"We have effective lines of communication which allow us to swing into action whenever needed," said Mr Howells.

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