Overview

• Barbara Peters smuggled vapes, tobacco, mobile phones, chargers and disguised vodka into HMP Altcourse by concealing them in her bra on more than a dozen occasions.
• Police surveillance teams filmed a handover in April 2023 and arrested Peters at the Countess of Chester Hospital in June of that year.
• In June 2025, Peters pleaded guilty to conspiracy to convey prohibited items and received a 10-month custodial sentence from Judge David Swinnerton.
• She admitted earning £9,000 from “serious criminals” for her smuggling activities and said inmates threatened her with execution if she went to the authorities.
• None of the prisoners named in her testimony have been charged, prompting calls for enhanced staff vetting, better support services and tighter security protocols.