LAGS walked freely in and out of prison after a power cut left the gates unlocked for up to two days.
Warders were too scared to patrol in the dark so inmates wandered unsupervised around the grounds at all hours.
AlamyA source at Ford open prison in West Sussex claims convicts came and went as they pleased[/caption]
The power cut also knocked out lights and CCTV.
A source at Ford open prison in West Sussex claims convicts came and went as they pleased and smuggled in contraband under cover of darkness.
Two Bowie knives, 22 litres of Jamaican rum, drugs and 16 iPhones were later discovered.
Bosses at the Category D prison said the electricity outage was due to external factors.
But it is believed two back-up generators failed. The nearly 400 male cons became incensed as they were left without hot water, lights — and TV. When the electricity was finally switched back on, a special external unit was called in to search the jail.
It was only then that prison chiefs discovered the loot and mischief that the inmates had been up to.
A source said: “It has been absolute chaos with jail bosses in a complete flap.
“The electricity failure was not the fault of the prison, but their back up generators failed.
“Prisoners made hay in the dark, and staff were wary of carrying out duties and patrolling in darkness.
“Cons were wandering around the grounds at night, calling friends and family on mobile phones. It was one big holiday camp, and total chaos.
“It was only after a search of the jail, when the electricity finally returned, that bosses realised just how much fun the prisoners had.
“Some had strolled out of the nick and seemingly brought back huge amounts of drink and drugs.”
At HMP Ford, the inmates are usually trusted to roam around inside the facility. They are often not locked in their cells.
Last night, the Prison Service told The Sun: “Power issues at HMP Ford were swiftly resolved following an outage and the prison is operating as normal.”
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