A message from a “crackhead” prisoner was the last thing a Crayford mother expected to find in a Christmas present from her daughter.

Jo Higginbottom, 37, received a gift of candles and a scent dispenser from her nine-year-old daughter but found a shocking message inside the packaging.

Jo, mother of two, said: “Every year my mum gets me a little stocking bag of gifts.

“When I was opening it my daughter told me that one was important because she helped choose it for me.

“As I take out the inside of the box, right on the bottom it had that message.

“My husband is going through chemotherapy and this was the last thing I needed.”

The message read: “This is made by a crackhead with hepatitis C. I hope you appreciate us next time you see us around. Have a nice day #HmpLongLartin”

HM Prison Long Lartin is a category A men’s prison in Worcestershire.

Jo’s daughter had bought the present with her grandmother at Matalan’s Dartford branch and Jo said she has no plans to shop there again.

She said: “I couldn’t get my head around it. Do Matalan have their packaging made there?

“To be honest I don’t think I would go there again. I was really shocked and really worried seeing that.”

The Ministry of Justice say this is the first time a complaint of this nature has been raised and that the contract to assemble this packaging came to an end in September 2016.

A prison service spokesperson said: “We apologise for any offence caused in this case. Security checks are routinely carried out at HMP Long Lartin, and we are urgently working to identify the offender involved. We will not hesitate to take disciplinary action.

“We are committed to making prisons places hard work, discipline and reform. Work placements can help offenders gain the skills they need to turn their back on crime for good.”

A Matalan spokesperson said: “We are aware of a complaint from a customer, regarding a gift that she received over Christmas. At Matalan, we are committed to delivering excellent quality products, and we are in discussion with the relevant supplier to fully investigate the matter.”