At least four prisoners mistakenly freed still at large

This new information comes at a time when pressure is mounting on the government following several high-profile cases of wrongful release of prisoners.

 An Algerian sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison was arrested by police on Friday.

 Brahim Kaddour-Sherif was one of two men mistakenly released from Wandsworth Prison that same week. Both are now back in custody after William Smith surrendered on Thursday.

Their release comes after migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat, was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford in Essex late last month.

 A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Most offenders mistakenly released are quickly returned to prison, and we will work with the police to do our best to apprehend the few offenders who are still in the community."

 But the government's handling of the issue has drawn widespread criticism.

 A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said "every possible resource" should be deployed to find the prisoners.

 Jess Brown-Fuller said, "This is a shameful and widespread mess. The public should not be relying on the media to report prisoners roaming freely after being mistakenly released."

 Lammy said in a statement: "We have inherited a troubled prison system and I am appalled by the rate of wrongful releases that is occurring as a result.

 "I am determined to tackle this problem, but there is a mountain to climb that cannot be accomplished overnight.

 "That's why I have ordered new, rigorous release checks, launched an independent investigation into systemic deficiencies, and begun reforming the outdated paper-based systems still in use in some prisons."

 In addition to the four people mistakenly released, it has also been discovered that another man has escaped from an open prison.

 Ola Abimbola, who is serving a 21-year sentence for crimes including kidnapping, possession of an offensive weapon in public, and possession of an offensive weapon in public, was transferred to an open prison in September and escaped from HMP Ford on October 10.

 The Ministry of Justice said: "The small number of offenders eligible for open prison undergo a rigorous, in-depth risk assessment, and anyone found to be in breach of the rules may be immediately returned to a closed prison."

 Sussex Police said it is working to locate Abimbola, who was jailed in December 2018.

 Escapes from open prisons are a separate matter from wrongful release.

 Data from the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service shows that in the 12 months up to March 2025, 57 prisoners escaped from prisons in England and Wales – but this figure has been declining since 2020, when 143 people escaped.