Sex offender mistakenly let out of Wandsworth Prison arrested after manhunt

Sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, has been arrested by police in London.

The 24-year-old man was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal at HMP Wandsworth in south-west London, but had also previously been convicted of indecent exposure, sources said.

He said he was released from special measures prison on October 29 last year, but the error was only reported to the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday.

In an update on social media, the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers arrested Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth on 29 October.

“Cherif was spotted by a member of the public on Blackhorse Lane in Islington just before 11.30am. Officers immediately attended and he was arrested.”

This follows the mistaken release of migrant Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford on October 24. Stronger security controls were implemented in prisons and an independent investigation into erroneous releases was launched following the mistake in the Kebatu case.

An Epping immigrant jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman was mistakenly released from prison last month rather than being sent to an immigration detention centre. It was followed later.

Shortly before news of the latest incident broke, Mr Lammy was asked in the House of Commons whether any other asylum seekers had been released by mistake since Kebatu.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who also serves as Minister of Justice, has refused to confirm on four occasions.

More to follow…