Prison officers warned they could be jailed themselves after admitting relationships with inmate brothers who ran £3m drugs operation

By JAMES TOZER, NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT and IAN LEONARD Published: 15:34, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 15:36, 23 June 2026 Two female prison officers were today warned they could be jailed themselves after admitting having relationships with a pair of inmate brothers sentenced over a multi-million pound drugs operation. Jai Gascoyne, 25, and Elle Walton, 27, conducted the relationships while they were working at Buckley Hall Prison in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The pair appeared alongside each other in the dock today at Manchester Crown Court. Gascoyne, of Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in public office. They concerned having a relationship with inmate Dil Nawaz, 30, and communicating by phone with another prisoner, Michael Haigh. Walton, of Bacup, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office after having a relationship with Haq Nawaz, 32. No further details of the nature of the relationships were set out in court. The women were both bailed, but Judge Sarah Johnston warned them that it was no indication of the sentence they would receive and ‘all options are open’. Prison officer Jai Gascoyne, 25, (pictured) today admitted misconduct in public office over having a relationship with inmate Dil Nawaz, 30 Fellow prison officer Elle Walton, 27 (pictured with her father) pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office after having a relationship with Haq Nawaz, 32 The Nawaz brothers, who appeared via video link, are accused of entering into the relationships and encouraging and assisting in the commission of the offence of misconduct in public office. They are due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on July 7. Both brothers remain in custody. The offences all took place between January and April 2024.  Haq Nawaz was jailed for 13 years and 10 months and Dil Nawaz for 12 years in September 2023 for heading an organised crime gang with third brother Asim Nawaz. It is believed the gang distributed between £2.15million and £3.1million worth of crack cocaine and heroin over a 12-month period. They controlled an ‘army’ of drug dealers and runners in Chorley and Preston, which included exploited juveniles, who operated at street level, police said at the time. Mobile phone numbers were utilised as drug lines to advertise and take orders for Class A drugs. (L-R) Dil Nawaz, 30, and Haq Nawaz, 32, are serving sentences of 12 years and 13 years and 10 months respectively for heading a organised crime gang The operation involved several drugs lines and led to 30 people being arrested and charged and handed prison sentences totalling 132 years. The prison officers are due to be sentenced on August 7. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.