Drug abuse in Cumbria’s prison is putting pressure on the county’s ambulance service – amid warnings that a drug-related death is “almost inevitable”.

A new report from Haverigg Prison’s Independent Monitoring Board has said its “unending war” with illegal drugs has led to an increase in violent behavior and heightened pressure on emergency services.

Its latest report claims that despite the best efforts of staff at the prison the use of drugs, particularly the new psychoactive substance Spice, is still widespread.

Mike Ross, chairman of the IMB at Haverigg, reported it to be one of the prison’s most alarming problems which is taking its toll on the wider Cumbrian community.

He said: “The widespread use of Spice, or NPS, and the abuse of prescription medications continue to create difficulty for prisoners, the prison regime and for healthcare practitioners. The increasing use of Spice by prisoners has helped generate an upsurge in violent behaviour.”

Mr Ross explained that an increasing number of prisoners who are collapsing after taking drugs is making a significant impact on Cumbria’s health service, particularly the ambulance service which faces long drives on rural roads to deal with emergencies.

He said: “The more frequent incidents of prisoners collapsing under the influence has impacted on healthcare, with medical staff sometimes called to simultaneous emergencies.

“Ambulance services in rural Cumbria can be very thinly spread and are sometimes not able to respond quickly to calls from the prison. This leads to concerns that in the fullness of time a death from NPS abuse is almost inevitable.”

Councillor Janice Brown, Millom town councillor for Haverigg ward, said residents in the village had noticed a lot of ambulances driving towards the prison and she did have concerns.

She said: “I do have a lot of people coming to me saying the ambulance is going up and down that lane a lot.

“I think a lot of people are under the impression that it is called out there regularly.

“There is only one ambulance in Millom and when that’s called out it could be putting somebody else’s life at risk.”

Haverigg Prison is a Category C prison with more than 650 inmates.

The Ministry of Justice has taken a strict stance on the issue of drug smuggling and says it must continue its work to stamp out the practice.

A prison service spokesman said: “We take a zero tolerance approach to contraband in our prisons and work closely with the police and Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute those involved. We have already legislated to make smuggling New Psychoactive Substances into prison illegal and those caught trying to throw packages over prison walls can face up to two years in jail.

“However we must do more, which is why we are investing £1.3bn to transform the prison estate, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs.”

Despite its stark warning, the IMB is keen to show progress is being made, saying staff are making huge improvements tackling bullying, equality and inclusion.

The prison encourages rehabilitation through a number of different skilled activities such as gardening, woodwork and a smokery, and sells its wares to the public.

Mr Ross said: “There is an ever-increasing market for the products of HMP Haverigg’s award-winning smokery, which employs nine prisoners. Demand for the numerous products of this somewhat avant-garde, enterprising and quality-driven department, continues to increase by the year.”