Brazen would-be smugglers tried to use a drone to fly contraband into a prison, police have said.
In the first known incident of its kind in the UK, one of the remote controlled devices was found with a package trapped in netting above a wall at Bedford Prison, it was reported.
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman told the Daily Mirror: “We were called to reports that a small drone had been discovered alongside a package in netting above a perimeter wall at HMP Bedford at 11.30pm on March 6.
“Both the device and the contents of the package are currently being examined, and investigations are on-going to identify the offender.
"We are working closely with the prison to investigate this incident.”
The paper reported the parcel attached to the drone, which was spotted by prison officers, contained drugs, a phone, a knife blade and screwdrivers.
HMP Bedford is a medium security prison with the capacity for around 500 inmates.
Last week a man was charged in connection with offences including flying an unmanned drone over the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.
Earlier this month, drone pilots were told not to fly near the Palace or in the capital's Royal Parks.
