A female prison officer has appeared in court accused of having a romantic relationship with an inmate.

Rachel Martin, 25, is alleged to have engaged in an "emotional and intimate relationship" with Raymond Abraham at HMP Guys Marsh near Shaftesbury.

It is further alleged that she 'smuggled' in ladies underwear, a mobile phone and designer clothes.

Martin, of Salisbury, faces 10 separate charges of wilfully neglecting her duty as a prison officer for several months.

She appeared before Poole Magistrates Court on Wednesday, September 28 and did not enter a plea to any of the charges. Her case has been sent to Bournemouth Crown Court.

The charges relate to how she is alleged to have entered into a relationship with Abraham between November 1, 2020 and March 8, 2021, creating a "conflict of interest and contravening the working practices of the prison".

On January 19, 2021, she is accused of sending a parcel addressed to him that contained high value designer clothes and footwear.

She is also charged with supplying him with female underwear that was confiscated from his cell on February 6, 2021.

Between December 29, 2020, and March 8, 2021, she is accused of supplying Abraham with a Zanco mobile phone.

On January 14, 2021, she is alleged to have encouraged a third party to purchase a top up card for the phone through a text.

During the months Abraham had a phone she is accused of engaging with him over texts and did not report the fact that he had a phone.

She is also alleged to have provided Abraham with instructions on how to transfer images from a mobile phone to an SD card.

She is also said to have sent him a parcel with high value clothes, given him a phone, and smuggled in designer clothes.

Martin will next appear before Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday, October 27. She was granted unconditional bail.