Record number of phones seized in jails last year

There is still a booming trade in mobile phones in many prisons despite the introduction of strict security measures in recent years.

Record numbers of mobile phones were seized last year in St Patrick�s Institution, which houses young offenders, while there was a significant increase in hauls in Cork, Midlands, and Portlaoise prisons as well as D�chas Women�s Prison.

Figures released by the Prison Service show there were: