A manhunt is underway for a convicted criminal who has disappeared from an open prison facility in Suffolk.
Scott Warner, 37, was discovered to be absent during a routine roll call at HMP Hollesley Bay, prompting police to launch an urgent search mission.
HMP Hollesley Bay is a Category D prison, meaning it operates under minimal security protocols.
Warner was in the midst of serving a four-year-and-seven-month term for robbery, along with additional criminal offences, when he vanished from the facility.
Suffolk Constabulary has issued a detailed physical description of Warner, noting he is of white ethnicity, approximately 6ft 3in in height, possesses a stocky physique, and has distinctive blonde hair and blue eyes.
Investigators said the absconder has associations with Essex, which may prove significant to the ongoing search efforts.
Police have warned members of the public not to approach Warner if encountered.
Anyone who sees the fugitive should dial 999 without delay to report a sighting.
Scott Warner was discovered absent during a roll call
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Members of the public who may possess information concerning Warner’s potential location but have not directly spotted him should call 101 instead.
Open prison environments such as HMP Hollesley Bay typically permit inmates to leave the premises for substantial portions of the day, allowing them to engage in employment, educational courses, or participate in other programmes designed to support their eventual reintegration into society.
Warner’s escape comes just 3 years after he absconded from a different prison in Essex back in 2023.
On April 14, 2023, Warner, then 34, escaped from HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire while serving a sentence for offences including burglary, fraud, and handling stolen goods.
Warner was understood at the time to have connections to Clacton and Colchester districts.
News of the escaped convict comes as a separate manhunt continues for a violent drug dealer who escaped while GB News was covering the early release of prisoners at HMP Kirkham.
At time of writing, Elliot Riley remains on the run 473 days after he was seen clambering over a barbed-wire-topped fence and escaping in a getaway car.
HMP Hollesley Bay is an open prison
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At the time of his escape, Riley had been sentenced to spend eight years behind bars following a major drug-busting operation by Greater Manchester Police.
Lancashire Police immediately launched a search operation to recapture the 32-year-old.
However, despite Lancashire Police and the Ministry of Justice saying at the time that they were “urgently working” to recapture the inmate, more than a year later, he remains on the run.
Riley found his way into prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs and possession of criminal property.
He was sentenced in April 2024 as part of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Bowler drugs sting.
The conspiracy resulted in 16 men being jailed and ran between September 2021 and July 2022.
The group were responsible for the movement of at least 75 kilograms of high-purity cocaine, which had an estimated street sale value of £75million.
When officers attempted to arrest Riley, the 32-year-old attempted to flee their clutches in his underwear.
On the one-year anniversary of his escape, a Prison Service spokesman said: “We’re urgently working with the police to recapture this prisoner.
“Absconds are rare, but those who break the rules face tough consequences, including being moved to tougher conditions and extra jail time.” Lancashire Police were also unable to provide an update on Riley’s whereabouts at the time of the report.