A prison worker was caught with class A drugs after investigators found she was in a relationship with a gangster inmate.

Ashley Malloy, 33, worked as a carer at HMP Shotts, Lanarkshire, which houses some of the country’s most notorious criminals.

She was put under investigation after police received a tip-off that she was bringing illicit items into the maximum security facility.

Detectives had information she was in a relationship with inmate John Mack, 37, who was serving a four-year sentence for drug offences.

Malloy’s locker in a staff changing area was raided by officers in March last year who discovered cocaine with a street value of £1,200 and £400 worth of heroin in a bag.

Mack’s cell was searched and a mobile phone SIM card was discovered.

Earlier this week, Malloy, of Shotts, and Mack, of Glasgow, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court where she pled guilty to possessing the drugs while he admitted having the illicit SIM card.

The pair had originally faced allegations of supplying drugs inside HMP Shotts but the claims were dropped by prosecutors.

Depute fiscal Aga Mathieson told the court: ‘Police officers were in receipt of information that Ashley Malloy was working within Shotts as a carer and was introducing illegal items into the prison.

‘They attended Shotts with a search warrant and around 8am she was located in a staff preparation area which contains lockers and a place for people who work there to change.

‘In that room they found a small bag and she confirmed it belonged to her and when it was searched they recovered powder which was later confirmed as cocaine and heroin with a street value of £1,200 and £400.’

The prosecutor added: ‘Because of what police had discovered in the bag, John Mack had his cell searched because there was information they were in a relationship.

‘During the search of his cell they found a SIM card.’

The court heard dad-of-three Mack had the SIM card to keep in touch with family but had been released in January.

He had previously admitted flooding Glasgow with thousands of street valium tablets which was linked to serious organised crime.

Sheriff John Hamilton KC deferred sentence on the pair until next month for reports and continued bail.

The Scottish Prison Service said Malloy was employed by an agency and had not worked at the prison since the drugs were found.