The search is on for a prisoner who escaped from HMP Wandsworth for his brother's wedding

Sky News has learned that a Palestine Action protester, temporarily released from prison to attend his brother's wedding, has not returned to Wandsworth Prison.

Police are searching for 32-year-old Shaun Middlebrow, who was held on remand at HMP Wandsworth.

He is believed to have been granted bail by a judge to attend his brother's wedding, but has not returned.

Middlebrow was accused of orchestrating an alleged plot by activists to disrupt the London Stock Exchange by chaining themselves to the building.

Earlier this year, Palestine Action was formally declared a terrorist organization.

A government spokesperson said, "Court decisions are made by judges – independent of the government."

He added, "Escape is a serious criminal offense, and any defendant committing this crime could face a lengthy prison sentence."

This failure to return to HMP Wandsworth in South London is the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents for the justice system, following three high-profile erroneous prison releases in the past two weeks.

The number of such mistakes has risen recently, with 262 cases recorded between March 2024 and March 2025 – a 128% increase compared to 115 cases in the previous 12 months.