A woman who was a teacher at High Down prison is to stand trial accused of having an "inappropriate relationship" with a prisoner and smuggling in unauthorised packages for him.

Lilian Aghaizu, 49, of Pipewell Road, Carshalton, appeared at South East Surrey Magistrates’ Court last Monday, March 30.

She is charged with being a "holder of public office who wilfully neglected to perform her duty or misconducted herself" between January and May last year.

FROM MARCH 18, 2015: Savage staffing cuts have made "genuinely fair and decent" regime at High Down prison difficult to deliver, report finds

Miss Aghaizu, who was teaching at the category B male prison during this time, is alleged to have entered into a relationship with a serving prisoner, Dane Dacas.

It is alleged the pair were exchanging text messages and having conversations which were "inappropriate".

Miss Aghaizu is also accused of not reporting Mr Dacas for illegally having a mobile phone in prison and buying credit for it.

The teacher is also charged with smuggling unauthorised packages into the prison for Mr Dacas and failing to report she had so been asked to do so by him.

Dacas, 23, of St Kilda’s Road, north London, also appeared before magistrates on the same day charged with "intentionally encouraging or assisting" Miss Aghaizu to commit her alleged offences.

He is charged, together with Aleksy Rzepecki, with making phone calls, sending text messages, or having face-to-face conversations which helped Miss Aghaizu to smuggle unauthorised packages into the prison.

Aleksy Rzepecki, 24, of Napa Close, Olympic Village, east London, also appeared at the magistrates’ court charged with the same offence as Dacas.

No pleas were entered by any of the defendants and they are all due to appear at Guildford Crown Court later this month.