30 inmates shared drug needle

As many as 30 women inmates at a Wiltshire jail have shared a single needle to inject drugs including heroin, it was revealed yesterday. An inspection report added that the sharing of needles is widespread at Erlestoke jail, near Salisbury Plain.

Prison officials had provided inmates with cleaning fluid to keep injecting equipment sterile, but have withdrawn the service. Sharing needles appears to have caused a rise in the number of prisoners infected with hepatitis C. Sir David Ramsbotham, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, said in a report: "...The use of injectable drugs such as heroin was increasing. Received intelligence showed very considerable sharing of injecting equipment with up to 30 people sharing one syringe and needle."