A PRISONER from Taunton who converted a ping pong ball into a makeshift weapon has been ordered to serve an extra three months.

Liam Martin was in jail for drug dealing at Channings Wood Prison, near Newton Abbot, when he was found with the table tennis ball with a metal screw in it.

Officers also found a piece of metal with a fabric handle as Martin was being searched prior to an adjudication hearing. He said he had both for his own protection.

He was two years and two months in prison, imposed at Bristol Crown Court in September 2017 for two offences of supplying class A drugs.

He was part of a 15-strong organised crime group that operated in Bristol, Taunton, Bridgwater and Weston-super-Mare that was broken up by a major police operation last year, resulting in total sentences of more than 70 years.

Martin, 24, of Scott Close, Taunton, admitted two offences of having illegal weapons while in custody and was jailed for an additional 12 weeks by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

The judge told him: "These were offensive weapons but were not used to threaten anybody or cause fear or to endanger other prisoners.

"I bear in mind there were two weapons, and not one.

"There is some evidence that you failed to respond to previous warnings, by way of earlier adjudications, and it is an aggravating factor that you had them with you when you were being taken to another adjudication.

"In mitigation, you say they were for your personal protection and not for offensive use and it appears you are addressing your drug problems while in custody."

Caroline Bolt, prosecuting, said the weapons were found when Martin was being admitted to the segregation unit at Channings Wood prior to an adjudication hearing on January 30 this year.

One was a table tennis ball with a screw in it, the other was a piece of metal with a cloth handle.

Rupert Russell, defending, said Martin had been the victim of assaults inside prison and had been involved in violent incidents with other inmates.

He is nearing the end of his sentence and hopes to resume contact with his five-year-old daughter and is working to address his drug issues prior to his release.