Police in Merseyside are appealing for information to locate a man who was mistakenly released from prison. John Lee Riley, 49, was freed early from HMP Altcourse on Monday, June 8, according to Merseyside Police.
Riley was serving a sentence for assault and is believed to be from the Cheshire area, though he originally hails from Liverpool. Authorities are urging anyone who sees him to come forward so he can be returned to prison.
Description and Last Known Appearance
Riley is described as approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, of slim build, with grey hair and blue eyes. He speaks with a Liverpool accent. At the time of his release, he was last seen wearing a black jumper with the words 'Jack Jones' on the front, grey jogging bottoms with writing on the left leg and rear pocket, and black and white Puma trainers.
He is known to have connections to Widnes, Wirral, and Crewe.
Police Appeal
Inspector Steve Reilly stated: 'If you see Riley or have any information whatsoever about his current whereabouts, then please get in touch as a matter of urgency so we can return him to prison. Please be assured that our inquiries are ongoing and we won't stop until he's back in custody where he belongs.'
He added: 'I would also like to appeal to Riley himself to do the right thing and hand himself in if he sees this appeal. Let us know if you have any information and we will act swiftly to ensure he's found as quickly as possible.'
How to Report Information
Anyone with information can contact the Merseyside Police social media desk via X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook @MerPolCC. Alternatively, reports can be submitted through the police website or by calling 101, quoting incident reference 26000460675.
For those who wish to remain anonymous, the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
