A PRISON officer accused of smuggling naked pictures and a pair of knickers from a female colleague to a jailed armed robber has been cleared.

Matthew Pritchard, 33, was alleged to have 'circumvented' the official prison post process to get letters from colleague Barbara Dyer, 26, to her prison lover Saul Powell.

It was claimed Mr Pritchard had met with Dyer and agreed to take the sexually-charged letters to Powell, who was being held in HMP Winchester.

However, a judge yesterday ruled that Mr Pritchard, who was suspended from his prison officer role after the allegations came to light and eventually quit, had no case to answer because prosecutors had failed to produce enough evidence against him.

Winchester Crown Court heard Mr Pritchard, of Southwick, "did not know" how the photographs and knickers found their way into Powell's cell.

During her opening speech, prosecutor Jane Rowley told jurors the prison officer told police he had handed the items back to Dyer when she tried to convince him to smuggle them into prison.

Ms Rowley said: "Mr Pritchard is alleged to have aided Miss Dyer in continuing her relationship with the prisoner.

"Mr Pritchard says he handed back the items to Miss Dyer when he was asked to take them into the prison.

"He says he is not aware how they got into prisoner Powell's cell."

The court heard police did not actually know whether the knickers were sent through the official prison post system or if they had been brought in another way.

It was revealed they were discovered in prisoner Powell's cell when it was searched.

Genevieve Reed, representing Mr Pritchard, told the court her client denied the charge of misconduct in a public office that had been brought against him.

Miss Reed said: "The factual issue for Mr Pritchard in this case, is that he does not accept he took the items into the case."

After hearing the prosecution case, judge Keith Cutler ruled there was insufficient evidence to show Mr Pritchard had taken the letters, photos and knickers into the prison.

He was acquitted of one count of misconduct in a public office.

However, Judge Cutler ruled that was not the case for Dyer, of Bournemouth, who is also charged with one count of the same charge.

Her trial continues next week.