Overview
- Merseyside Police say John Lee Riley, who was serving a sentence for assault, was mistakenly released from HMP Altcourse and has not been returned to custody.
- The force has circulated a physical description to the public: about 5ft 7in, slim build, grey hair, blue eyes, Liverpool accent, last seen in a black 'Jack Jones' jumper, grey jogging bottoms and black-and-white Puma trainers.
- Police identified known local links to Widnes, Wirral and Crewe and asked anyone with information to contact their social media desk, use the force website, call 101 with incident reference 26000460675, or phone Crimestoppers anonymously.
- Inspector Steve Reilly appealed directly to Riley to hand himself in and said officers will keep searching as a matter of urgency until he is back in prison.
- The release has prompted ongoing inquiries at the prison and could lead to operational review and public-safety checks while officers work to restore custody.