Police launched an investigation after members of the public reported seeing packages being thrown over the high wall of a prison, a court heard.

It led to the arrest of a woman who had driven men to the jail from London to smuggle drugs and mobile phones in to inmates.

"This whole investigation began when, over a period spanning a couple of weeks last year, a number of members of the public reported they had seen men throwing packages over the wall,” said prosecutor Jonathan Gold.

"This happened on five different dates. It is clear that the intention was for the prisoners within - who must have known there were packages coming - to collect and either keep them for their own use, or in all likelihood to sell on.

"It is not surprising to hear that drugs and mobile phones are a lot more valuable inside prison than they are outside.”

Mr Gold said Kuljit Kaur was part of a conspiracy to deliver the illegal items to Maidstone Prison.

"Her main role appears to have been the transportation of all the men doing the throwing,” he said.

Kaur, of Roman Road, East Ham, East London, denied two charges of conspiracy to throw a prohibited article into prison between February 15 and March 3 last year, but was convicted by a jury.

Maidstone Crown Court heard packages containing blocks and wraps of cannabis, phones, headphones and cables were “launched” in broad daylight over the 20ft high wall on five separate occasions in February and March last year.

Kaur transported the contraband from London and also had mobile phone contact with at least one inmate at the category C prison before, during and after the drop-offs, said Mr Gold.

The packages were propelled over the wall by a man in a hooded tracksuit while Kaur, 33, waited in her Vauxhall Corsa nearby.

One cellophane-wrapped package became entangled on the razor wire on the outer wall of the education block on March 1.

It contained 28.4g of herbal cannabis, two blocks of a synthetic cannabinoid weighing 12.3g and 12.5g and two mobile phones.

Mr Gold said Kaur's DNA was found inside the packaging, although her car was not seen in the area that day.

There was “an overwhelming inference”, he said, she was party to the conspiracies.

"The prosecution say that when you look at the evidence as a whole it is clear there was a conspiracy to deliver drugs and phones into the prison, and it is abundantly clear that the defendant was knowingly involved."

Adjourning sentence for reports until October 4 and granting conditional bail, Judge Philip St John-Stevens said the offences were serious because of the effect drugs and phones had on the prison system.

He told Kaur: “I want to understand more about you and the dynamics of how you became involved in this. All options are open up to and including custody.”

Kaur claimed she thought the parcels contained items such as hair regrowth products belonging to her inmate friend, convicted drug dealer Munib Riaz, and were simply being handed in by her passenger at the prison visitor centre.

She also told the jury that she believed Riaz was serving his sentence in an immigration detention centre and was, therefore, allowed a mobile phone.

Kaur, who works in property management, said their frequent calls to each other just covered everyday subjects such as X Factor.