A VISITOR to a Suffolk jail was arrested after a prisoner was seen trying to swallow a package containing cannabis, a court has heard.

Staff monitoring CCTV cameras at Highpoint Prison saw a prisoner put a package in his mouth and then spit it out because it was too big to swallow, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

The man had then hidden the package in his shoe and when he was searched the package was found to contain 5.8g of cannabis, said Godfried Duah, prosecuting.

When the CCTV footage was played back it showed the prisoner being given the package by 21-year-old Conor Hughes.

Hughes, of Grays, admitted taking cannabis into a prison and was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work and to pay £900 costs.