DRUGS are a growing problem at Maidstone jail in Kent, a new report by chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke has warned.

His team was also troubled by the “disproportionate” use of strip-searching and inmates having to wait six months to see a dentist.

Although the prison was “calm and well-ordered,” Mr Clarke warned the governor not to be complacent. He was particularly worried about illicit substances entering the Victorian prison, which houses 600 foreign male offenders.

“Shortly after this inspection some 15 parcels containing contraband, including drugs, were thrown over the wall into the prison in the space of a single night,” he said.

“Despite the clear indications that drugs were a growing problem, the response to intelligence was poor, with backlogs and suspicion searches not being carried out in a timely fashion or at all.

“There was clearly a need to refocus on the strategy for reducing the supply of illicit drugs, and there is certainly no room at all for complacency,” he said.

The watchdog noted that 14.5 per cent of prisoners tested positive for drugs, a level “too high to be taken lightly.”

Inspectors warned that the routine strip-searching of all prisoners departing the jail was disproportionate, especially as it included inmates who were being released.

They were also concerned that prisoners “waited too long to see the dentist, in some cases six months for routine care.” Education at the jail was also judged to be “inadequate” by Ofsted.

The latest report comes as Prisons Minister Rory Stewart MP now has just 180 days left to turn round Britain’s failing jails or resign from the job.