David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, has expressed outrage after a foreign criminal wanted by the police was mistakenly released from prison. The Metropolitan Police have launched an urgent manhunt to recapture the individual, who had been detained under immigration powers.
In a statement, Lammy said he was 'absolutely outraged and appalled' by the error, adding that his officials had been working through the night to return the prisoner to custody. He confirmed an independent investigation led by Dame Lynne Owens has been ordered to uncover what went wrong and address the rise in accidental releases.
Downing Street described the release as 'utterly unacceptable', with a spokesperson stating that the public will rightly view any mistaken release as unacceptable. The Prime Minister was not informed until after the Met issued their statement.
Figures show that in the year to March 2025, 262 prisoners were accidentally released, up from 115 the previous year. Ministers have blamed the previous Conservative government for leaving a justice system in chaos.
During Prime Minister's Questions, Lammy faced repeated questions from shadow justice secretary James Cartlidge about whether any other asylum-seeking offenders had been accidentally released. Lammy avoided direct answers, citing the ongoing inquiry.
