THOUSANDS of drugs including pills, heroin and crack cocaine have been seized from inmates within Greenock Prison - as well as weapons and illicit mobile phones, a Telegraph investigation has revealed.

Staff at the jail confiscated more than 13,000 tablets from prisoners at Gateside and have recorded 400 drug incidents there over the last three years.

Prohibited SIM cards, injection kits and smoking paraphernalia have also been found and removed since January 2021, 'startling' figures released under Freedom of Information legisltion disclose.

Greenock-born Conservative MSP and former shadow justice secretary, Jamie Greene, said the data unearthed by the Telegraph showed the 'clear need' for a replacement prison.

Greenock Telegraph: Jamie Greene

Mr Greene: “These startling figures are yet another sign that HMP Greenock is fast becoming unsuitable for the safety of inmates.

“It is vital that prisons prioritise the safety of prisoners and their rehabilitation. But this is not possible with the significant amount of contraband, including illicit drugs, that we are seeing flowing into HMP Greenock.

“It has been clear for some time that HMP Greenock is facing multiple serious challenges, with this being just one.

“SNP ministers must now commit to building the long-awaited replacement for HMP Greenock to provide a secure and rehabilitative environment.”

A total of 36 weapons were seized along with a significant amount of homemade alcohol.

Of the 13,352 tablets recovered, more than 3,000 were identified as etizolam, also known as 'street valium', with cocaine tablets and ecstasy pills also discovered.

A further 1,800 pills could not be classified by prison staff.

Drugs such as the anti-depressant amitriptyline, the strong opioid painkiller buprenorphine and gabapentin, which is used to treat epilepsy, were also confiscated.

The statistics reveal that drugs such as the dangerous synthetic cannabinoid known as ‘spice’, cocaine and etizolam were intercepted after being sent to inmates via mail.

Significant quantities of illicit substances were also confiscated, including 40.9 grams of cannabis resin, 40.4 grams of heroin, 17.6 grams of cocaine and 19.1 grams ‘spice’.

When fully functional HMP Greenock can hold 263 prisoners, however, dampness and water ingress within the ageing jail has caused dozens of its cells to be unfit for use in recent years.

The crumbling condition of the 114-year-old building was slammed last year by Scotland’s chief inspector of prisons, who made 68 improvement recommendations.

Repeated calls have been made for a modern replacement to the Victorian prison, but there is currently no prospect of any move towards this until at least 2026.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our staff work hard to tackle the introduction of illicit substances, and other banned items, and prevent the harm they cause.

“We have seen the success of measures, such as the photocopying of mail, in tackling that supply.

“However, the presence of such substances in our communities is a constant challenge and we will continue to do all we can to safeguard the health and wellbeing of people in our care.”