An 'infatuated' prison officer has been jailed for exchanging more than 850 text messages with an inmate at a young offenders institution.

Chelsea Blackwell, 27, made around 115 calls to Emmanuel Callender-Scott, an inmate at Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution, some of which lasted more than two hours.

She even tried to call him five times after his phone was seized in a cell search.

Blackwell, of Bootle, Merseyside, was handed an eight-month jail term today after admitting misconduct in a public office.

Callender-Scott, 22, was previously jailed for seven years for wounding with intent after he stabbed a cyclist and a Russian tourist on London's Regent's Canal.

The court heard that, in additional to the text messages and phone calls, four letters were seized from the prisoner's cell and a couple from Blackwell's home address.

Blackwell switched to using a second, 'dirty phone' mid-way through their relationship, the court heard. 'All these were seized and then at beginning of August Miss Blackwell's accommodation was searched and there was found some further letters and two mobile phones and the subsequent investigation really centres on those items.'

Tests carried out on the letters found in Callender-Scott's cell revealed Blackwell's fingerprints while a handwriting expert determined she had written them.

Although they were not read out to the court, Mr Mandel said: 'The language used is that of an infatuated person.'

Phone records between the pair's phones revealed more than 850 separate contacts made in the space of less than four weeks including calls more than two hours in length. 

'There were attempts to contact or make calls to the prisoner's number after the phone was seized from him so she was completely unaware of what had happened in terms of his cell being searched,' Mr Mandel continued.

'Some of the texts make it really clear that she was infatuated with this prisoner and contacted him and he contacted her often on a very frequent basis. The court heard that Blackwell had registered a 'conflict of interest' and was moved from A wing, where Callender-Scott was housed, to E wing, although she did go back and visit her old wing from time to time.

Defending barrister, John Lamb, told the court that Blackwell had since been fired from her job in the prison service and was now working at a dog kennels. 

The judge said: 'It's accepted that the offence consisted of communication only. There is no suggestion that you had taken anything into the prison for Mr Callender-Scott.