Immediate action has been taken to ensure security across prisons in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has said, after it emerged that blueprints of jails had been leaked online.

The Government said it was aware of a data breach following a report in the Times that detailed prison layouts had been shared on the dark web in the past two weeks.

A former prison governor told the newspaper that organised crime groups could use the information to smuggle drugs or weapons into the estate, or plan escapes.

The blueprints are said to include the locations of cameras and sensors, with security officials now working to identify the source of the leak and who might benefit from the details.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “We are not going to comment on the specific detail of security matters of this kind, but we are aware of a breach of data to the prison estate and, like with all potential breaches, have taken immediate action to ensure prisons remain secure.”