A drone has been filmed dropping a large package inside the walls of HMP Wandsworth, raising new questions about security at the south London prison already beset by violence, understaffing and allegations of neglect.
The incident, captured by BBC Newsnight late last month, shows the drone entering restricted airspace before releasing its payload into the prison grounds. Wandsworth is a Category B facility housing a range of inmates, including those convicted of serious violent and terrorist offences.
The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the specific footage but said it is investing £10 million in anti-drone measures across the prison estate. A government spokesperson told the BBC: “We are taking robust action to tackle contraband being smuggled into prisons, including the use of new technology and increased perimeter security.”
The development comes amid intensifying scrutiny of conditions inside Wandsworth. In the past few months, families of prisoners, former staff and campaigners have described the prison as dangerously overcrowded and chronically unsafe. One investigation found that official progress reports were being overshadowed by a spate of deaths and repeated failures in mental health care and safeguarding.
Earlier this year, we reported that the prison had failed to meet its own improvement targets and that bereaved families had been left without answers. On 8 May, the governor of Wandsworth Prison failed to attend a scheduled meeting with families demanding an explanation for what they described as a pattern of avoidable deaths and basic neglect.
The prison was also at the centre of national attention last year after the escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife, who absconded by hiding beneath a food delivery van. The incident prompted a major manhunt and triggered an official inquiry, the findings of which have not yet been fully published.
A catalogue of problems
Drone drops are an increasingly common tactic for smuggling drugs, mobile phones and weapons into UK prisons. While their use has been widely acknowledged by authorities, the broadcast of such clear and deliberate footage adds urgency to concerns about porous security at HMP Wandsworth in particular.
A recent report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons described Wandsworth as overcrowded, understaffed, and failing to deliver even basic standards of safety. Five inquests into deaths in custody at the prison remain outstanding, according to records reviewed by Putney.news.
Local MPs and prison reform groups have repeatedly called for stronger accountability and, in some cases, the full closure of Wandsworth as a functioning prison. With pressure mounting and another inquest expected this summer, the drone footage adds yet another layer to the growing list of concerns.
