Undercover reporter hired to work in jail with no vetting 'shocked by lack of security and open drug-taking'

28 March 2024, 09:34

HMP Bedford
HMP Bedford. Picture: Getty

By Kit Heren

An undercover reporter who was allowed to work in a prison with no vetting has revealed his shocking experiences on the job.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Paul Morgan-Bentley, an investigative journalist at the Times, worked at HMP Bedford for eight days as a contractor escort.

Even though he wasn't a fully-fledged prison guard, within a few days on the job - which he began a few weeks after first applying - he was given keys to much of the category B facility and had open access to inmates.

He told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "The vetting was extraordinary because there wasn't proper prison staff vetting... what we found was by going by applying through an agency, I didn't have to have the vetting the people usually have",

Recruiters did carry out a criminal record check. "But they clearly hadn't Googled my name," Mr Morgan-Bentley said. "I didn't make an attempt to disguise who I was... it's very easy when you Google my name to see the type of work I do.

"But we intentionally didn't try and disguise it, because that was part of the issue, how poor the vetting was. And less than three weeks after applying, I was inside the jail. And then training was just a few hours on the first day."

Read more: 'Bed and breakfast' short jail terms cost £50,000 a year per inmate and should be scrapped, Justice Secretary says

Read more: Hundreds of prison officers quit within one year as prison service operates 'fanciful' Zoom recruitment process

Paul Morgan-Bentley explains how he was hired by an agency without thorough checks

On two of the eight days he was in the job, the security checks to get into the prison were extremely lax, and he was able to get in without anyone checking whether he had illicit items in his pockets.

That meant that he could have smuggled drugs or weapons into the prison easily, he said.

"It was the lack of security at the front door, and I don't know if I was naive beforehand, but I always assumed that the prison security would be as tight if not more than airports."

HMP Bedford
HMP Bedford. Picture: Getty

He said there was airport-style security at the airport.

"But I worked there for eight days, and on two of those days, when I arrived in the mornings for my shift, there was literally no one on those security scanners.

"So I just walked straight through. And if you can imagine it, there were the trays that you you have at airports, but no one was picking them up and putting their belongings in them, because the baggage scanner wasn't switched on.

"And there was no one there manning the scanners and I walked straight through the arch scanner.

"It beeps because I had things in my pockets like keys, but no one noticed because no one was there, and I walked straight through - and then I could get the keys to areas including prisoner wings.

HMP Bedford
HMP Bedford. Picture: Getty

"And later on in the day I was inches from prisoners."

Mr Morgan-Bentley also told of how builders were allowed to work very close to prisoners, with tools out in the open - potentially leaving them open to being stolen and used in fights.

One prisoner even asked him if he could have the tools, to which he said no, politely.

He also said that prisoners were smoking cannabis or a similar drug openly in the prison, and the smell was very obvious.

HMP Bedford was recently given a damning inspection report from the prisons watchdog, that found it was filthy and very violent. The prison has been put on urgent notification to improve in a year.

HMP Bedford
HMP Bedford. Picture: Getty

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: “This reporter was employed briefly as a temporary agency worker at HMP Bedford with restricted access and duties limited to escorting prison contractors, but the Lord Chancellor is seeking urgent clarification from the Prison Service that the vetting process for such workers is appropriate.”

“The enhanced airport-style security in place at HMP Bedford and other closed jails is there solely due to this Government’s £100 million investment in tough new controls – including rolling out X-ray scanners, tightening staff searches and recruiting hundreds more drug detection dogs to make our prisons safer.”

A spokeswoman for Hays, the agency he worked for, said: “Despite procedure being followed in this case, we will be conducting a review of our recruitment process for the supply of these types of roles.”

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

An elderly old age pensioner sits with his hands on a walking stick in a care home.

Gut bacteria changes could be ‘warning sign for worsening Parkinson’s symptoms’

Karen Bass says the restrictions will be in force in downtown areas of LA from 8pm to 6am local time (4am to 2pm UK time).

Los Angeles mayor imposes curfew 'to stop the looting' on fifth day of clashes against immigration raids

The report added that it should become easier for parents to organise “safe play” in their streets, and there should be a national ban on “No Ball Games” signs.

'Too much screen time, not enough play': Calls to ban ‘No Ball Games’ signs to reduce children's reliance on smartphones

The ASA did not uphold complaints about Price appearing to be unhealthily thin, and concluded that the ad was not irresponsible on that basis.

'Not empowering - just objectifying': Advertising watchdog bans Diesel ad featuring Katie Price

A number of homes and police vehicles were damaged during the riotous behaviour.

Police use water cannon in Ballymena after petrol bombs thrown at officers in second night of disorder

Bowel cancer patient Kelly Buckle, 40, is operated on during a state-of-the-art robot assisted surgery performed by the NHS at Solihull Surgical Hub in Solihull Hospital, West Midlands.

Robotic surgery set to soar in NHS as 90% of all keyhole surgeries to be assisted by robots in decade

Despite weaker demand, renters are still facing a limited supply of homes for rent, Zoopla said.

'Still being squeezed': Rent rises slow to four-year low but low-income tenants say crisis far from over

Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers of England acknowledge the fans after the teams defeat in the international friendly match between England and Senegal at City Ground on June 10, 2025.

Tuchel insists ‘no need to panic’ as England booed off for second time in four days after shock defeat against Senegal

The biggest lottery prize the UK has seen could still be won after Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw had no winners.

EuroMillions jackpot rolls over again as UK’s largest ever prize of £208m is unclaimed

The violence flared following an earlier peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the town at the weekend.

Missiles thrown at police in second night of Northern Ireland disorder following protest over alleged sexual assault

Emergency services at the scene on Russell Close in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, where a man and a nine-year-old girl died in a house fire on Sunday morning.

Father and nine-year-old daughter that died in house fire named, as girl, 11, still fighting for life in hospital

The global superstar has reportedly offered seats to her London tour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to families in need through food banks across the city.

Beyoncé 'gives away' gig tickets to low-income families after struggling to fill seats at Cowboy Carter London tour

from next month, women aged 25 to 49 in England who are negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) will receive screening invites every five years.

Cervical screening invites to be sent out every five years for some women in new NHS changes

Alex Eastwood

Kickboxer, 15, who died after charity match had fought 34-year-old man week before

Exclusive
The government is to introduce extra measures to protect emergency workers from religious and racist abuse, LBC has learned.

New laws to clamp down on racial and religious abuse of emergency workers, LBC learns

British Police Officers in London England UK

Police officers sacked for gross misconduct to be blocked from joining local forces in drive to improve standards