Judge Richard Bray made the scathing criticism at Northampton Crown Court as he sentenced an inmate and the mother of his child for a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle heroin into prison in forged solicitors' letters.

Paul Neely, 29, of Briar Hill Walk, Northampton, and Tammy McMullin, 31, of Great Holme Court, Northampton, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs between June and July last year.

Neely was sentenced to seven years in prison, and his co-defendant to 30 months.

The court heard the couple had embarked on a scheme to get heroin into Category A Woodhill Prison, near Milton Keynes, inside forged solicitors letter.

Legal letters can only be opened in a prison if authorised by the Government under a measure known as Rule 39.

Neely was serving a 27-month sentence at the time for supplying drugs to an undercover police officer during a three-month crackdown in Northamptonshire.

McMullin posted the letters intended for him to another inmate being held at the same prison.

Sentencing Neely, Judge Richard Bray said: "This was a sophisticated and determined attempt to provide a continuous supply of Class A drugs to inmates within the prison by reason of forged solicitors' letters.

"You were the guiding light in this conspiracy and you were prepared to draw your co-defendant into the matter.

"It has to be said that the local prisons are now awash with drugs.

"I have said this before, I have no reason to say other than the situation is getting worse every day."

He told McMullin: "Drugs supplying into prison is a serious problem today as I know only too well.

"If I did not send you to prison for some time that would indicate a leniency of approach to this problem and the floodgates would open."

Abigail Turner, prosecuting, said an intercepted letter posted from McMullin contained 0.41g of heroin hidden in a pouch.

She said daily telephone conversations recorded between Neely and McMullin appeared to use code words for heroin to organise the scheme.

The court heard that only one letter was intercepted but the conversations suggested more had been involved.

Ben Gow, defending McMullin, said she had been dragged into the enterprise by Neely and was generally "good at heart."

Russell Eaton, for Neely, said he had been pressurised by fellow inmates to supply them with drugs.