Rats, gangs, drones and filth: HMP Manchester in a 'precarious state', inspectors warn

Crime gangs are continuing to "operate with impunity" in HMP Manchester, according to a damning report.

The chief inspector of prisons placed the Category A jail in special measures in 2024 and - after a fresh inspection in January 2026 - concluded it remains in a "precarious state", with a high number of serious assaults and weak security fuelling drug problems.

The report highlights the challenge of specialised gangs piloting drones to fly drugs and weapons into the prison, formerly known as Strangeways.

Inspectors wrote: "Drones continued to bring large quantities of drugs into the jail, which was leading to high levels of violence and instability.

"A failure by leaders in the prison service and absurdly bureaucratic planning processes meant just a handful of windows had been replaced, with the consequence that organised crime gangs continued to operate with impunity."

It said that - despite additional staff being deployed to detect drones and search cells for drugs - there was no improvement in reducing positive drug test results, which at 38% is one of the highest rates in England and Wales.

The report found that the prison "had made very little progress in installing secure windows and grilles to stop drugs getting in, and half of the prisoners surveyed during the inspection said that it was easy to get hold of illicit substances".

It continued: "The level of serious assaults was among the highest in the adult male estate, and violence against staff had increased."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said HMP Manchester was "operating under immense pressure" and that Labour "inherited a prison system at the peak of its crisis".

The statement added: "We took immediate action to bring the system back from the point of collapse and while we welcome inspectors recognising the strong leadership now in place at HMP Manchester, we are taking urgent action to stop drones, upgrade security and tackle the flow of drugs which fuels violence behind bars."

Other concerns in the report included a very high use of force by staff, prisoners unable to access purposeful activity including education, inmates getting limited time out of their cells, rubbish attracting rats, and "filthy" kitchens.

It warned: "Along with isolation, loneliness and poor mental health, this inactivity was contributing to high rates of self-harm, and there had been four self-inflicted deaths since the previous inspection.

"Manchester remained a prison in a precarious state, and it was continuing to perform at unacceptably low levels."

Inspectors commented on a sports pitch, which could not be used because it needed to be resurfaced, stating it was a "wasted opportunity for much-needed outdoor activity".

They also concluded the special accommodation cells were in poor condition, some with damaged flooring, blocked air vents and water leaking from the ceiling.

However, reflecting on some changes made at the prison, "inspectors recognised the work that the governor and his team had put into improving the stability of the jail".

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Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said: "Leaders at Manchester had made a determined effort to start grappling with some of the issues identified in 2024 and we saw some early evidence of improvement.

"However, without more determined action from HMPPS [HM Prison and Probation Service] to improve physical security, drugs will continue to undermine those efforts.

"That work must be prioritised, and issues around staff recruitment and education provision tackled, if Manchester is to deliver the rehabilitative activity that prisoners need to successfully re-establish themselves in society when they are released."

Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the most effective way to reduce the supply of drugs at HMP Manchester is to reduce demand for them in the first place.

"When almost half of people held at Manchester prison are unemployed and spending more than 21 hours a day locked in their cells, is it any wonder that rates of drug use and violence are sky-high?" she said in a statement.

(c) Sky News 2026: Rats, gangs, drones and filth: HMP Manchester in a 'precarious state', inspectors warn