Three inmates managed to escape from a U.K. prison on New Year’s Day — and authorities say two of the men remain on the run as a nationwide manhunt continues.
Police in South West England said the escape happened sometime between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, at His Majesty’s Prison Leyhill. The facility alerted authorities later that evening, and officers arrived around 9:45 p.m. to launch an investigation.
According to Avon and Somerset Police, all three men were believed to have left the prison grounds during that three-hour window.
One of the escapees, 39-year-old Aaron Thomas, was captured in Bristol on Jan. 3. The other two men — Matthew Armstrong, 35, and Daniel Washbourne, 40 — have not yet been located.
Police describe Armstrong as a white male standing about 5 feet 9 inches tall with red hair and visible scars on his forehead. He was last seen wearing a burgundy and orange coat, a gray hat, gray tracksuit bottoms with blue detailing on the side, and black boots. Authorities say Armstrong was convicted in the late 2000s for a murder committed during a robbery in Warwickshire.
Washbourne is described as a clean-shaven white male around 5 feet 6 inches tall with a slim build and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a cream-colored fleece, blue tracksuit bottoms, a blue hat, and black trainers. Police say his criminal history includes convictions for violence against a person and false imprisonment.
Authorities have released CCTV images showing what Armstrong and Washbourne were wearing on New Year’s Day and are urging the public to help locate them.
“Urgent actions have already been completed, including circulating the men as wanted via national police systems,” police said in a statement. “Intelligence work to trace the men’s movements is ongoing.”
As a precaution, officials warned members of the public not to approach the men if spotted.
Anyone in the U.K. with information about their whereabouts is asked to call 101. If either man is seen, police say to immediately dial 999.
Thomas, the inmate who was recaptured, is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Jan. 5. The search for the remaining fugitives remains active.
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