Migrant sex offender wrongly released from prison arrested in London park after manhunt

The Ethiopian national was jailed for 12 months in September for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl and was wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday morning instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.

Hadush Kebatu was arrested in the Finsbury Park area of north London at around 8.30am, Scotland Yard said.

Pictures show Kebatu being led away with his hands behind his back by female officers outside the park.

The Metropolitan Police said they were contacted by a member of the public who had seen a man believed to be Kebatu at a bus stop near Finsbury Park Station.

Officers were deployed to carry out a search of the area and at 8.19am officers spotted a man matching Kebatu's description inside the park, a short distance from the entrance opposite Finsbury Park Road.

They confirmed he was Hadush Kebatu and arrested him for being unlawfully at large.

A witness told The Sun: "There was one plain-clothes female officer and another woman officer in uniform.

"Two uniformed male officers wearing blue forensics gloves joined them and put him in the back of a van.

"He was handcuffed behind his back and looked pretty glum. There was no struggle.

"People around recognised him immediately but let the police get on with their job."

Commander James Conway, who has overseen the operation, said: “This has been a diligent and fast paced investigation led by specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police, supported by Essex Police and the British Transport Police.

“Information from the public led officers to Finsbury Park and following a search, they located Mr Kebatu. He was detained by police, but will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service.

“I am extremely grateful to the public for their support following our appeal, which assisted in locating Mr Kebatu.”

'Serious questions'

Responding to his re-capture, Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford Marie Goldman called for accountability.

"I am relieved that Hadush Kebatu has been found and is back in custody. He must now be deported.

"But this doesn’t excuse the serious mistakes that let this happen in the first place.

"It’s unacceptable that the safety of my constituents, and the people of London, was ever put at risk.

"The Prison Service had several chances to fix it and failed.

"The Government has serious questions to answer and major work to do to make the system fit for purpose. It certainly isn't at the moment.

"A rapid, national inquiry must happen to get to the bottom of this."

Zia Yusuf, head of policy for Reform UK, said he was "relieved" Kebatu has been apprehended.

He told Sky News: "This is a man who eyewitnesses said was actively trying to go back into prison after being accidentally let go.

"So, look, glad he's been apprehended but I mean it's absolutely shocking and how any victim of sexual assault could look at this Labour Government and Jess Phillips in particular, and the whole state apparatus right now, and have any degree of confidence is beyond me."

A prison officer has been taken off duties to discharge prisoners while an investigation takes place.