AN investigation by The Northern Echo has revealed that scores of weapons and illegal drugs have been confiscated from inmates at two North-East prisons.

Concerns have been raised about security at the jails after it emerged that home-made knives, heroin, pornography, mobile phones and computer games consoles were found hidden in cells over the past year.

The Northern Echo obtained lists of items confiscated from convicts at HMP Durham and Frankland after submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Prison Service.

The weapons found include:

* Razor blades;

* Home-made knives;

* Sharpened toothbrushes;

* Sharp pieces of metal;

* Broken toilet brushes.

The official log compiled by prison officers records one as a "razor moulded into a pen creating a weapon" and another as a "spiked weapon". Drugs, including heroin, cannabis and white tablets, were also seized.

"I am obviously very concerned about this," said Roberta Blackman-Woods, the MP for Durham City.

"I have been to HMP Durham and Frankland several times, including recently, and I am going to Durham again very soon.

"There is concern throughout the Prison Service about drugs and weapons and I have raised these issues with the governors before and will do so again."

In August, the Prison Officers Association called for a review of security at jails after two convicted murderers were charged with stabbing a fellow inmate at Frankland, the maximum security prison in Durham.

The killers of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, who was shot dead during an armed robbery in Bradford last year, were arrested after a prisoner suffered cuts to his face and wounds to his stomach after he was attacked in his cell.

Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah and Yusuf Abdillh Jamma are charged with wounding with intent. The case continues on January 14.

Also in August, three boys found a bag containing a sawn-off shotgun in woods near to Frankland amid speculation that the weapon might have been planted there as part of a foiled escape plan.

Mrs Blackman-Woods said: "I certainly support a review of security in the prisons to get to the root of how the contraband is getting in.

"Obviously, the safety of prisoners is important, but I am mostly concerned about the safety of our communities and my constituents and I want drugs and weapons off our streets and out of Durham."

Nearly 50 different weapons have been taken from inmates at Frankland since June last year, with another 26 being seized from cells at HMP Durham.

Other items taken include parts of a tattoo machine and a PlayStation with 14 games.

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, a former Durham Police chief, said: "My experience is that people in custody become very ingenious at finding ways of smuggling stuff in or manufacturing things themselves.

"It is a continuing battle between the authorities and the prisoners, but I applaud the fact that these items have been discovered."

A spokeswoman for the Prison Service said: "We are committed to keeping the public and prisoners safe, and security is paramount in maintaining good order and discipline.

"Prisons carry out regular and rigorous searches on prisoners and their cells and communal areas.

"Security procedures are kept under constant review and action is taken where necessary.

"Reducing violence, in all its forms, is fundamental to our objectives and to the resettlement and rehabilitation agenda.

"Violence is not pervasive in the Prison Service - in many establishments incidents are rare.

"However, prison is a difficult and demanding environment where staff manage a volatile population."

* The FOI request asked the Prison Service for details of all items confiscated from seven jails across the region.

However, the lists were only provided for HMP Durham and Frankland prison because of the cost of providing the information,