Live budgie found during cell sweep at Irish Prison

A live budgie has reportedly been recovered by prison officers during a massive search for smuggled goods in maximum-security Portlaoise Prison.

Reports this morning say inmates were locked up in their cells yesterday while a huge sweep was carried out in two particular areas of the jail.

The search targeted the landing that houses gangland figures from Dublin and Limerick, as well as dissident republicans.

Eight mobile phones were found, as were three SIM cards, 150 tablets (including ecstasy), a quantity of powdered drugs, a large amount of home-made alcohol and 30 syringes.

This morning's reports say the budgie is believed to have been smuggled into the prison by a female visitor who concealed the bird internally in her body.