Three police officers under investigation
An investigation is underway after a Wormwood Scrubs prisoner was found in possession of drugs and mobile phones.
The prisoner, who has not been named, was taken to Hounslow police station for questioning last month, under the supervision of three police officers.
When he returned to the Du Cane Road prison, he was found to have two mobile phones and an unspecified quantity of drugs.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is currently investigating the police officers to find out whether the prisoner was properly supervised.
IPCC deputy chair Deborah Glass said: "This investigation is examining how a prisoner came to be in possession of these items while in police custody, looking at how the prisoner was supervised while being taken to and from the police station and his time at the station.
"We are working closely with the Prison Service and the Met to ensure the circumstances of this case are established as quickly as possible," she said.
The smuggling of mobile phones into jails has been a growing problem and prisons are now equipped with metal detecting or Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS) chairs which can detect mobile phones and metal weapons hidden inside people’s bodies.
6 October 2009