Guards foil cunning tennis ball smuggling plot JAIL DRUGS RACKET

PATRICK WILLIAMS PRISON guards netted a haul of drugs hidden inside tennis balls.

The eight packages had been served up over a perimeter fence early on Christmas Eve.

Officers at HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire found them outside the jail’s L wing after getting a tip off.

Each ball had been opened, packed with drugs and sewn together again.

They were then hurled over the fence from the public side of the category B unit.

A source told us: “Everybody was walking around shouting ‘balls please’.

“It’s one of the more unusual techniques used to smuggle drugs.

“But a tennis ball is the ideal object to throw long distances and is pretty inconspicuous.

“The theory is an inmate was waiting for the delivery but officers got there first.”

The consignment was mainly made up of so-called “legal highs” including Spice.

The discovery was made at the private jail, run by Serco, at 8am on December 24. Staff also found a white iPhone during a search.

Staffordshire police have now launched their own investigation.

Glyn Travis, from the Prison Officers Association, said: “Criminals will use all means to smuggle contraband.

“This haul of drugs and mobiles was stopped because of the professional action of staff.

“But, because of cuts and lower staff numbers, it is harder to stop smuggling.”

Dovegate, near Uttoxeter, opened in 2001 and has room for 1,060 inmates.