UK Police Hunt for Two More Men Wrongly Released from Prison
Two additional mistaken prisoner releases have placed further scrutiny on the British Prison Service, which has faced years of underfunding. Police forces in London and Surrey launched separate searches on Wednesday after discovering that two inmates had been erroneously freed within the past week, despite new government checks meant to prevent such errors.
Details of the Mistaken Releases
The men were released from Wandsworth Prison in southwest London, a jail already under special measures since last year, following a high-profile escape involving a prisoner hiding beneath a food delivery truck.
- Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was released on 29 October, police confirmed.
- William Smith, 35, was mistakenly released on Monday, according to Surrey Police.
The Metropolitan Police said they were informed of Kaddour-Cherif’s release six days later, on Tuesday. Originally from Algeria, Kaddour-Cherif entered the UK legally in 2019 but overstayed his visa and was undergoing the initial stages of deportation. He was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal and is also registered as a sex offender after a conviction last year for indecent exposure.
"Cherif has had a six-day head start but we are working urgently to close the gap and establish his whereabouts," said Commander Paul Trevers, who is leading the investigation.
Mounting Pressure on the Prison Service
These two accidental releases have intensified public concern over the management and oversight of British prisons. The errors underline persistent operational failings linked to limited funding and staffing shortages that have plagued the system for years.
Author’s summary: British police are pursuing two inmates wrongly freed from a troubled London prison, deepening concerns about systemic flaws in the UK’s overstretched corrections system.