Sussex police own up to Ford prison appeal blunder

Sussex Police published an appeal for help in finding convicted armed robber Christopher Street who left Ford Open Prison in 2001 in an appeal last week.

However, further checks have revealed the 62-year-old is no longer wanted for absconding 13 years ago. After fleeing the jail, Mr Street handed himself him in to police and subsequently completed the rest of his sentence.

Detective Superintendent Jez Graves said: “In the initial scoping process of prioriting those absconders on whom we would put our initial focus Mr Street was identified as one of those we were seeking.

“An officer has since identified that he is no longer wanted and he has been removed from the list.”

The force added that a dedicated unit has been set up to review absconders from the open prison with 25 offenders arrested since November.

This month has already seen police successfully recapture two prisoners who were on the run from Ford.

Simon Marcus Rhodes-Butler, 37, who absconded on May 22 handed himself in at Sutton police station on June 12.

Kevin Brown, 54, who absconded on April 10 was arrested in Bristol on June 14.