Hundreds of North-East prison visitors were last year banned for drugs smuggling, according to new figures.

The figures, obtained exclusively by The Northern Echo, show that 193 bans are in place in the region. Almost two thirds were imposed at Durham and Holme House prison in Stockton which totalled 64 and 53 respectively.

Fifteen bans at Holme House, were for six months or more -- indicating the most serious offences -- which was the largest figure in the country.

The prison with the highest number of bans for the period 2001/2 was privately run Blakenhurst in Worcestershire with 194 from an overall total in England and Wales of 2,941.

The release of the figures comes amid continuing concern over the extent of smuggling, which can involve anything from heroin to prescription drugs.

Last month Teesside Judge Michael Taylor described how people were appearing before the courts for prison drug smuggling almost weekly.

Bans for smuggling, often accompanied by arrest by the police, are usually for a minimum of three months but depend on the discretion of the individual prison.

Mike Newell, governor of high security Durham Jail and chairman of the Prison Governors Assocation, said he believed prison drug smuggling had stabilised.

His own prison has improved both security and treatment programmes to tackle substance abuse among inmates.

He said: "We have a lot of prisoners coming in here for the first time and we are realistic to know that a lot of them have been using drugs.

"They are likely to have friends and relatives who are able to get hold of drugs and therefore it is likely that they will try initially to bring drugs in."

The Northern Echo revealed earlier this year how professional drug mules, equipped with sophisticated fake IDs, were being paid to target the region's prisons.

The Prison Service, through its drugs strategy, says that tackling prisoners drug habits while in custody is equally as crucial as stopping illegal substances from entering prisons.

It estimates that 75 per cent of the prison population have abused drugs in the 24 hours before their arrest.

Brian Caton, general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, said: "We are far better now at detecting drug smuggling and treating prisoners with addictions than we have ever been.

"But the fact remains that this is still a big problem and some prisons still do not have enough staff and resources to cope." .