End scourge of drugs, weapons and phones in jails, urges Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson went to jail today and promised to end the “normalisation” of criminal activities behind bars.

Making the first official visit by a Prime Minister to a prison since 2012, he visited a cell, met an inmate and examined new X-ray machines brought in to cut smuggling.

Arriving at HMP Leeds, the Prime Minister said: “We must end the normalisation of drugs, weapons and mobile phones being brought in to help cut crime in prisons and keep the public safe.”

The Government announced a £100 million investment in extra security measures — the latest in a spree of law and order announcements that have driven speculation about an autumn election to fever pitch.

“Prisons must support rehabilitation and that is only possible if prisons themselves are kept crime free,” said Mr Johnson.

“That’s why we’re ramping up security in our prisons — to crack down on illegal items coming in so that we can keep our prison officers safe from danger and give them the tools and the security measures they need to do their job, and to protect victims from further harassment or fear.”

Prison officers staged a walkout last year over safety concerns due to smuggling of drugs and weapons into cells.

Labour accused the PM of “timidly tinkering at the edges”, saying the money falls short of the sums needed.