Police are searching for two men released in error from the same prison

Just hours after it was discovered a prisoner was on the run after being mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, the prison admits it has a second escapee.

HMP Wandsworth in south London admitted a foreign prisoner was accidentally released on 29 October - just five days after the high-profile release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford in Essex. But later on Wednesday, Surrey Police announced it was now also searching for 35-year-old William Smith, who had apparently been released on Monday, in a second error by staff at the jail.

Both mistakes follow vows by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy that enhanced checks on prisoner releases would be introduced. 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.

Manhunt latest: Foreign prisoner on the loose The Metropolitan Police confirmed to Sky News that shortly after 1pm on Tuesday 4 November, the Prison Service confirmed Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian man, had been released in error from HMP Wandsworth on 29 October. The Met said officers were "carrying out urgent enquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody".

Sky News understands he is a registered sex offender who was serving time for trespass with an intent to steal. It is understood he is not an asylum seeker.

Meanwhile, William Smith, who was released on Monday, and goes by the name Billy, was sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences. 'Utterly unacceptable' It is not yet clear why it was nearly a week between the first release at Wandsworth and the police being informed that an offender was at large.

Sir Keir Starmer was not aware of the incident until the Met Police announcement, Downing Street said. The prime minister's spokesman told reporters: "The Met have released a statement I think in the last few minutes." He said "one mistaken release is one too many" and the case was "utterly unacceptable".

"It's important the police are given the time and space to bring him back into custody. And we will look into the circumstances behind this as a matter of urgency," he added.

The PM's spokesman could not say when Mr Lammy became aware of the initial error, after the cabinet minister refused to answer several questions about it, in the House of Commons, from the shadow defence secretary. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X: "James Cartlidge asked the Deputy PM FIVE times to tell us if ANOTHER migrant sex offender had been accidentally released from prison.

"Instead of answering, Lammy lost his temper. "Now we read it HAS happened again & he's been on the run for a week.

"This is a shambles of a government." Lammy 'outraged and appalled' Sky News understands Mr Lammy did know about the first prisoner release before he stood up in the Commons and was pressed on the issue by the Conservatives. "If we knew, one can only assume the justice secretary knew," a spokesman for Ms Badenoch said, adding Mr Lammy should come back to the chamber "and do a statement as soon as possible".

Mr Lammy said afterwards he was "absolutely outraged and appalled by the mistaken release of a foreign criminal wanted by the police.