A Sussex MP has claimed Britain's jails are "awash with drugs".

Nick Herbert, the MP for Arundel and South Downs, thinks prisoners spend much of their time behind bars getting high - a situation he branded a "national disgrace".

He believes a large proportion of crooks are actually getting hooked on drugs while serving time.

And he believes inmates at HMP Ford open prison are among those who have easy access to substances such as cocaine and ecstasy.

The Shadow Justice Secretary, Mr Herbert told The Argus: "I understand there is a problem with class A drugs at Ford. This is part of a national picture in British jails where drugs are a massive problem."

The Tory MP is now proposing that drugs offenders are jailed in separate secure units, instead of being allowed to mix with other inmates.

Drugs crooks who currently escape jail but are given testing and treatment orders would instead be taken off to "residential rehabilitation" courses, under Mr Herbert's proposals.

The MP said: "There is clear evidence that some people are starting to take drugs for the first time while in prison.

"Our proposals would be to separate those convicted of drugs offences and to house them in separate secure units."

He would not be drawn on where the new units would be located or how much they would cost.

Part of the problem, the Tories argue, is that overcrowding in British jails has exacerbated the problem of drugs behind bars.

However Mr Herbert would also not say if he was prepared to back expansion of HMP Ford to allow more inmates to be held there.

Plans were leaked last year over a proposed new category C jail on land at Ford. However the idea was scrapped after talks between Arun District Council and senior figures from the Prison Service.

In criticising the Labour Government's handling of the prison population, which remains at bursting point, Mr Herbert said there is currently "insufficient capacity" for inmates.

He said: "Last Friday the prison population was just 93 below the all time high recorded a week ago and only 300 short of capacity, and that was excluding nearly 200 prisoners held in police cells.

"The largest ever prison building programme is looking distinctly shaky."

He claimed 1,000 of the new proposed prison places were unfunded and only 1,400 new places would be delivered this year rather than the 2,500 originally promised.

Mr Herbert added: "So now we know what the Government strategy is to deal with prison overcrowding: release criminals more quickly and build prison places more slowly."

A spokesman for the Prison Service said it was currently on course to build new prison places and that it had made "great inroads" into tackling access to drugs in British jails.

Earlier this month The Argus reported that a drug smuggler tried to get crack cocaine into Lewes prison by wrapping the drug in socks and hurling them over the walls.

A 29-year-old man from Brighton was arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs. He was bailed to return to Eastbourne custody centre in February.

Should drugs offenders be jailed in separate secure units? Tell us your thoughts below.