Prisoners escape French jail using saw and bedsheets

Two men escaped from a prison in the eastern French city of Dijon by cutting the bars of their cells and using sheets to rope their way to freedom.

The men, aged 19 and 32, were in pre-trial detention, BFMTV broadcaster reported on Thursday, citing prosecutors.

The 19-year-old is under investigation on charges of attempted contract murder and membership in a criminal organization.

He has a criminal record.

The 32-year-old woman is accused of using threats and serious violence against her partner.

The union representing prison staff said the inmates escaped shortly before dawn.

The statement said the union had been pointing out security deficiencies that had been ignored by prison officials for months.

In a separate case, police arrested another escaped prisoner who used a prison trip to the planetarium to escape from a prison in Rennes, in the west of the country, according to media reports.

The prison director was suspended.