Dogs to be used at four prisons in the East to sniff out drugs to crack down on violence

Dogs will be used at four prisons in the East of England to sniff out drugs.

It is part of the government's £100 million project to crack down on violence and crime behind bars.

The dogs will be deployed at Bedford, Norwich, Chelmsford and Peterborough prison by March next year.

In total, 176 dogs are being sent into some of the "most challenging prisons in England and Wales."

Each dog will be paired with their own dedicated handler, specially trained in detecting contraband items.

“The smuggling of contraband into prisons puts hardworking staff at risk and undermines attempts to rehabilitate offenders", Lucy Frazer MP, Prisons and Probation Minister, said.

“These dogs and their handlers will make The Mount safer, more secure and ultimately a better environment for rehabilitation.”

There were 2,236 illicit items found by dogs in prisons between April 2019 and March 2020.

“Drugs dogs are a great proactive tactic to address the conveyance of illicit items into our prisons", Drug dog handler, Nick Hayes said.

“They are a force for good and such a powerful tool which can be used to keep all of us who live and work across the estate safe.”