A total of 91 prisoners were freed by mistake between the start of April and the end of October, the latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show.
The figures come as ministers face mounting pressure over a series of high-profile manhunts, with Justice Secretary David Lammy admitting on Friday there is a “mountain to climb” to tackle the crisis in the prison system.
Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was arrested on Friday after a police search following his release from HMP Wandsworth in south London last week, which Scotland Yard said officers only found out about on Tuesday.
His recapture was partly down to investigative work by Sky’s national correspondent, Tom Parmenter, who tracked Kaddour-Cherif down to Finsbury Park in north London before he handed himself in to police.
Convicted fraudster Billy Smith, 35, handed himself back in on Thursday after being accidentally freed from the same jail on Monday.
Meanwhile Hadush Kebatu, the small-boat sex offender, was arrested last month on the third day of a manhunt after he was mistakenly freed from prison.
BBC latest: Outgoing boss reveals reasons for quitting and admits ‘mistakes cost us’ – as $1bn threat looms
The final days of a girl in care – the story authorities did not want you to know about
‘Goddess of Wealth’ conwoman jailed over £5bn Bitcoin hoard after years on the run
The now-deported Ethiopian migrant was at the heart of protests in Epping and had been serving a 12-month sentence at HMP Chelmsford since September.
On Friday, stronger security checks were announced for prisons and an independent investigation was launched into releases in error following the blunder in Kebatu’s case.
The number of these types of errors has risen recently, with 262 instances between March 2024 and March 2025 – a 128% increase on 115 in the previous 12 months.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
