Confidential papers were stolen from prison - claim.

A PRISON officer stole secret documents from a high-security prison and passed them to his brother to sell to in County Durham, is accused of smuggling out the confidential papers and giving them to his older brother John, 45.

Among the documents stolen were some relating to child killer Ian Huntley, who is serving life for murdering Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that an article later appeared in the Daily Mail newspaper headlined 'Be nice to Mr Huntley'.

The newspaper also published a story called 'Muslim plot to behead a prison officer', which the prosecution allege, came from documents supplied by the Capewells.

Prosecutor Peter Moulson told the court the thefts only came to light when a dog walker found documents scattered on a bridle path in Wallsend, North Tyneside, on September 13 last year. The documents had come from the prison and many had John Capewell's fingerprints on them.

Senior prison officials described the thefts as a "massive breach of security".

Police inquiries discovered they had been stolen from John Capewell's car and further searches of his house recovered copies of contracts between the defendant and the News of the World newspaper. Detectives also spoke to a senior News of the World reporter who revealed he was in regular contact with John Capewell, who had asked for pounds 40,000 for information about Frankland and its inmates during a meeting at a motorway service station, the court heard.

Opening the case, Mr Moulson told the jury: "Their motive, say the Crown, was financial gain."

Paul Capewell, of Salmon Street, South Shields, South Tyneside, denies a charge of misconduct in public office.

His brother, of Horsley View, Wallsend, denies aiding and abetting misconduct in public office.

The trial was adjourned until today.