Leeds prisoner had 'special compartment' in boxer shorts to hide illegal phone

He had also stored memory sticks in the garment

A prisoner at a minimum-category jail north of Leeds has had time added to his sentence after being found with a mobile phone.

Christopher Hope admitted possessing a prohibited article - the tiny phone - at HMP Wealstun.

Leeds Crown Court heard that officers, using technology, can monitor mobile phone traffic and suspected Hope was in possession.

Hope (inset) was found hiding the tiny Zanco phone in a specially-made compartment in his boxer shorts.placeholder image
Hope (inset) was found hiding the tiny Zanco phone in a specially-made compartment in his boxer shorts. | YEP / Cleveland Police (previously issued)

They carried out a search of him and his cell on June 7 last year and ordered he remove his boxer shorts.

After initially refusing, he then relented and handed the shorts to an officer.

It was reported that they felt unusually heavy, so they searched them and found the phone in a specially-made compartment, along with two USB sticks.

The tiny device, manufactured by Zanco, can weigh as little as 13 grammes and be less than 5cm in length.

Hope, 34, is serving a sentence of more than four years for burglaries in Teesside. He has 35 previous convictions for 105 offences, including multiple burglaries.

Mitigating, Charles Creasey said Hope was holding the phone for another at the Category C prison. He said he was making progress in jail, but was suspected of having ADHD.

He said he wanted to start his own wheelie-bin cleaning company once released.

Judge Howard Crowson gave him a 10-week sentence, to be served consecutively to his existing sentence.

Related topics:
Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice