A prison governor who began a relationship with a drug-dealing gang boss locked up in the jail she ran has been found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office.

Kerri Pegg, 42, was seen as a “rising star” of the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate to governor of HMP Kirkham in Lancashire in six years.

But her trial heard she “didn’t play by the rules” and began a relationship with major Liverpool crime figure Anthony Saunderson, helping him secure day release.

A jury at Preston Crown Court returned their verdict at the end of a two-week trial.

The trial heard how, when police raided Pegg’s home in Orrell, Wigan, they found a toothbrush with Saunderson’s DNA on it.

It also emerged Pegg, who was also found guilty of one count of possession of criminal property, had been given a gift of a £12,000 Mercedes C-class car by Saunderson, which was paid for from the proceeds of 34 kilos of amphetamines.

Saunderson had used the name Jesse Pinkman, a meth dealer in the hit TV show Breaking Bad, during his communications with other criminals, the trial heard.

He also went under the name James Gandolfini, the actor who played Tony Soprano in the mafia TV series.

Jurors heard Pegg was known to spend a lot of time in her office with the inmate and, in October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence.

Though such requests are routine there are specific rules for how they should be dealt with – rules which the governor broke.

She did not have authority to approve the release, but intervened and approved the application without notifying the official who should have dealt with it, it was found.

Pegg stood with her head bowed and showed no reaction as the foreman of the jury delivered the verdicts.

Judge Graham Knowles KC told her she can expect a custodial sentence, adding: “I have no choice but to send you to prison due to the gravity of your offending.”

The trial heard Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme, titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) for inmates at several jails – while at the time being a major drug dealer, running an amphetamines factory.

Pegg claimed her contact with Saunderson was due to his involvement in the BADD programme.

But even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg and away from his wife and “work”.