Manhunt latest: Foreign prisoner on the loose after mistaken release from HMP Wandsworth

Paste BN understands the name of the prisoner released in error is Brahim Haddour-Cherif.

Once is an accident, twice isn't a good look for the government.

Just a handful of days after the mistaken release of Epping sex offender Kebatu, whose actions sparked protests across the country, a second foreign offender was mistakenly released as well.

But how common is this?

Tap below to read more...

As we've reported, David Lammy was asked multiple times in deputy PMQs about any more asylum-seeker offender release.

He refused to answer. It is understood that the man who has been mistakenly let out is not an asylum seeker.

But the shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge has taken to social media to ask Lammy one more question:

"Can you tell me when you knew and when you were planning to tell the rest of us?"

It's also understood that the Conservative Party found out about the mistaken release around 15 minutes before the start of deputy PMQs.

What else are the Conservatives saying?

Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp describes the mistaken release as "shocking".

He says: "It is shocking that once again the Labour Government has mistakenly allowed a foreign criminal to be released from prison.

"In my view all foreign criminals should be automatically deported at the end of their sentence. We will need to leave the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) to do that, but the Labour Government is too weak."

Police commentator Graham Wettone tells our presenter Jonathan Samuels that police have a "huge task" ahead of them to catch the mistakenly released foreign offender.

He points out that the foreign offender has a head start on police, meaning any system-wide warnings related to them wouldn't have been put out until it may have been too late.

Watch his insight here...

Our political correspondent Rob Powell offers his take on the political fallout following the mistaken release of a second foreign offender - and the questions hanging over prison policy.

Speaking to presenter Jonathan Samuels, he says: "Politically, there are questions about whether the government could have approached this better."

He says Lammy "had a choice" when he was quizzed about this at DPMQs, but he warns the justice secretary may regret the tactic he employed.

"The politics of this is the government not having control," Powell tells us.

But he points out that alongside the political row about this incident, there is a complex prison policy that needs to be looked into as well to prevent this happening again.

The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have called on David Lammy to return to Parliament this afternoon.

The deputy PM took part in DPMQs (Deputy Prime Minister's Questions) earlier today.

He was asked by a Tory MP then about any "asylum seeker offenders" being wrongly released. 

It is understood that the man who has been mistakenly let out is not an asylum seeker.

'As soon as possible'

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's spokesman told reporters: "I think he should make a statement as soon as possible."

He added: "I think, given that he had five opportunities to tell the House and the public what the hell was going on and ducked those opportunities, he needs to come back to the House as soon as possible."

'It would be laughable'

Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller MP said:

"Just when you couldn't think things could get any worse for the Ministry of Justice, somehow they have. It would be laughable if the situation weren't so dangerous.

"This is yet another grave mistake from the government. The public deserves a full explanation about how this has happened again."

It is understood that David Lammy believed it would have been irresponsible to talk about the mistaken release of a second foreign prisoner while details were still emerging.

The justice secretary found out about the error overnight.

However, he declined to answer questions at DPMQs (Deputy Prime Minister's Questions) on any further releases of asylum-seeking offenders after the release of Kebatu.

This was because, sources say, information was still emerging on the "complicated" case.

Here's a timeline of the wrongful release of a 24-year-old Algerian man.

He is the second wrongfully released foreign offender and was serving time for trespass with the intent to steal.

Our national correspondent Tom Parmenter says the second wrongful release of a foreign offender is just "mind-boggling".

He broke the news of the release. Watch his latest here...

The prime minister was not aware of the second foreign offender being wrongly released from prison until the Metropolitan Police issued a statement, Downing Street has suggested.

A Number 10 spokesperson told reporters: "The Met have released a statement, I think in the last few minutes."

They added that "one mistaken release is one too many" and that the case was "utterly unacceptable".

The spokesperson could not say when Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy became aware of the release.

The spokesperson also said the mistake was "utterly unacceptable", and tried to blame the Conservatives.

They said: "We have been very open about the chaos that this government has inherited. 

"The fact that jails were full to the point of capacity. Urgent action has been needed to do exactly that, to restore faith in the justice system.

"We've been very clear as well there is no overnight fix."

They continued: "We completely accept that this type of case is utterly unacceptable and needs to be dealt with, and the system needs to be reformed, and the appropriate checks need to be in place to stop this type of thing from ever happening.

"The public will rightly view any mistaken release of a prisoner from custody onto the streets as unacceptable.

"It's important the police are given the time and space to bring him back into custody. And we will look into the circumstances behind this as a matter of urgency."

The case will also be investigated as part of a wider review being carried out by Dame Lynne Owens, the spokesperson added.