'˜Life sentence' gun-wielding car thief flees jail

Police said Andrew Robert Jones was discovered missing by prison staff on Saturday evening.

A manhunt is now underway to find the 26-year-old, who was sentenced for aggravated vehicle taking in 2013.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “Andrew Robert Jones has not been seen for several days after walking out of prison and we are now asking members of the public to get in touch straight away if they see him, or know where he may be.”

Jones, of Central Way, Speke, is described as white, around 6ft 2ins tall, of medium build, with green eyes and red hair. He speaks with a Merseyside accent.

He was discovered missing from HMP Kirkham at around 8.45pm on Saturday.

A force spokesman said he had been serving a life sentence, having been convicted of aggravated vehicle taking, firearms offences and robbery. He has links to Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Manchester.

Call police on 101 with information.

Last month, 43-year-old Anthony Curry, who was serving 12 years for manslaughter, absconded from the open prison. In a public appeal before his arrest, police said he was ‘dangerous’ and urged people not to approach him.

It sparked concern from local councillors that Kirkham was being used to house violent offenders that posed a risk to the public.

The Prison Service said Curry would be returned to a more secure facility.