Police are on the hunt for a convicted robber who escaped from an open prison on the Isle of Sheppey. Michael Dunn, 53, absconded from HMP Standford Hill at around 8.55am on Saturday, January 10. He was jailed for six years and four months in September 2023 after pleading guilty to robbery offences in Maidstone, Kent.
The 53-year-old was last seen wearing a grey hoodie, dark bottoms, black trainers and a black scarf and hat, according to Kent Police. The force said officers are following a number of lines of enquiry to track the escapee down and have issued an appeal for the public’s assistance.
Anyone who sees him or knows where he is has been urged not to approach him but instead call 999, quoting reference 10-0558.
It follows the escape of three prisoners from HMP Leyhill, in South Gloucestershire, on New Year’s Day, all of whom have since been arrested.
Mark Drury, representative for open prison governors at the Prison Governors’ Association, told Sky News in November that the Category D jails were experiencing a spike in cases after “many years” with no absconds.
Open prisons, including HMP Standford Hill, generally have minimal security and give inmates greater freedom to prepare for release, including by working or studying in the community by day and returning at night.
Mr Drury suggested a higher number of prisoners being sent to the lower-security institutions was behind a rise in escape attempts.
Data released by the Ministry of Justice last year showed that there were 57 prison escapes in the year to March, 15 of whom were still at large after 30 days.