Overview
- Police say Daniel Buckley was last seen at HMP Thorn Cross on the morning of Saturday, May 30, and he remains at large as Cheshire Constabulary leads the search.
- Officers have published a physical description and what he was wearing and have urged the public not to approach him but to call 999 quoting IML-2340086 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
- The Prison Service issued a statement stressing public protection and warning that prisoners who fail to return face disciplinary punishment and a likely return to closed conditions.
- Buckley was jailed in January 2024 for 16 years and four months after court evidence, including EncroChat messages, showed he led a gang that moved more than 80kg of cocaine and over 20kg of amphetamine and discussed recruiting drivers and buying a firearm.
- Residents and local reporting note Thorn Cross is an open prison that has seen other absconds, and Buckley’s known links to Newton Heath, Failsworth, Openshaw and to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland may shape where investigators focus next.