Prisons have been forced to shut down hundreds of social media accounts run by inmates amid the rise in the number of mobile phones being smuggled into jails.

The number of Facebook, Instagram and YouTube profiles deactivated at the request of prison authorities has almost quadrupled in three years.

More than 1,700 accounts were removed from 2015 to last year, with the bulk of cases triggered by prisoners using illicit mobiles to upload content themselves. Removals are also sought when video or images captured in jail, or messages sent from behind bars, are posted by people on the outside.

The Prison Officers Association warned that the “shocking” figures risked undermining confidence in the criminal justice system, while the Prison Service said it works closely with social media companies to close accounts used by prisoners.

Figures on social media accounts removed after being identified by HM Prison and Probation Service were released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) following a freedom of information (FOI) request.

The number of removals increased in each of the four years for which data was provided, with 153 in 2015, followed by 462 in 2016, 527 in 2017 and 594 last year. In total, 1,736 accounts were taken offline, with 1,121 – or nearly two-thirds – removed in 2017 and 2018.