British officials say dead rats stuffed with drugs and mobile phones have been thrown over prison fences to provide contraband to prisoners.

Officials said on Monday that staff had found the rats inside the perimeter fence of a prison in Dorset, 210km southwest of London.

The staff noticed the bodies appeared to have stitches along their stomachs and opened the rodents.

The three rats contained five mobile phones and chargers, three SIM cards, cigarette papers, marijuana and the drug Spice.

Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said the find "shows the extraordinary lengths to which criminals will go to smuggle drugs into prison".

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter