Two prisoners escape open jail with public urged not to approach them

13 June 2022, 05:58 | Updated: 13 June 2022, 06:47

Two prisoners are on the run after escaping Leyhill Prison near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire.

Avon and Somerset Police said the two men, Shawn Dibble, 44, and Carl Perry, 37, absconded from the open prison for men on Sunday evening.

Dibble, who is serving a sentence for "burglaries/theft/robberies", is described as being 5 foot 9 inches, having a medium build and brown hair and blue eyes. He is known to frequent the Bristol area.

Perry, who is serving a sentence for robberies, is described as 5 foot 9 inches, having a slim build and short brown hair at the sides and brown eyes.

He also has tattoos on both arms and is missing an upper front tooth. Perry has links to the Midlands region, police said.

The public is being warned not to approach Dibble or Perry but to call 999 immediately.

It comes just months after a convicted murderer escaped from the same prison.

Jason Mills, 49, who was in prison for killing his girlfriend, escaped on April 7.

He was recaptured a day later.

Read more: Manhunt launched after murderer who killed girlfriend escaped from open prison

Read more: 'No bars and prisoners called residents': Nick Ferrari blasts Raab over soft prisons

HMP Leyhill is a category D prison, also known as an open prison.

These type of prisons have "minimal security" and permit "eligible prisoners" to spend most of the day away from the prison, for example for work or education purposes, according to the Government website.

It adds that only prisoners "who have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions" will be housed there.