Robber on the run from Kent open prison
A robber has gone on the run from an open prison which was at the centre of Britain’s most high-profile recent fugitive cases.
Liam White, 23, left HMP Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent wearing a dark green poncho-style coat.
Kent Police were called to the Category D prison just before 2pm today after White went missing with a black shoulder bag.
White should not be approached if spotted by members of the public who should call 999 instead, a police spokesman said.
HMP Standford Hill was the same prison where prolific armed robber Michael Wheatley absconded in May.
His high-profile case sparked a political row over the day release of dangerous inmates amid criticism that arrangements were too lax.
Wheatley, 55, dubbed the “Skull cracker” for pistol-whipping bystanders during raids, went on to rob a building society in Surrey after he went missing.
He was already serving 13 life sentences for a string of raids when he disappeared.
After being caught, he was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to life behind bars and told he will serve at least 10 years before being eligible for parole.
