Separate manhunts are underway for two prisoners who were both accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth, police have said, ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand reports.

Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was accidentally freed from HMP Wandsworth in south-west London on 29 October, but the mistake was only reported to the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday, the force said.

Cherif was serving a sentence at HMP Wandsworth for trespass with intent to steal, but had previously also been convicted for indecent exposure.

Police confirmed he was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure relating to an incident in March that year. He was sentenced to an 18-month community order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

A second accidentally released prisoner, William Smith, who goes by the name Billy, was set free on Monday November 3, Surrey Police said.

Surrey Police said: "Smith was sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences at Croydon Crown Court on Monday (3 November), during which he appeared via a live video link from HMP Wandsworth."

It described him as white, bald, and clean-shaven, last being seen wearing a navy long sleeve jumper with a Nike ‘tick’ across the front in white, navy blue Nike tracksuit bottoms and black trainers.

"Smith has links to Woking but could be anywhere in Surrey," said the police.

Commander Paul Trevers, who is overseeing the investigation and search for Cherif, said: “It is just over 24 hours since we were informed of Cherif’s release. We launched an immediate manhunt and urgent enquiries have been ongoing since.

“Cherif has had a six-day head start but we are working urgently to close the gap and establish his whereabouts.

“We will continue to use all the means at our disposal but we are also appealing for the public's help to find him. We have seen in the very recent past how important alert members of the public reporting sightings can be."

His release comes just five days after the high-profile sex offender Hadush Kebatu was released by mistake from HMP Chelmsford.

In the wake of Kebatu's release, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy said prison services would implement enhanced checks on prisoner releases.

In a letter to Lammy and the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, MP for Tooting, Rosena Allin-Khan, claimed the released prisoner was in custody on a charge of trespass with intent to steal, but had alleged he had a "history of criminality" including sexual offences.

Allin-Khan said this release, as well as that of Hadush Kebatu and the escape of Daniel Khalife, "raises serious questions about the operational procedures and staffing levels within Wandsworth Prison and across the wider prison estate."

When asked by reporters on Wednesday whether the prime minister was aware of the situation, his spokesman said: "The Met have released a statement, I think in the last few minutes."

He said "one mistaken release is one too many" and that the case was "utterly unacceptable".

Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu was arrested on Sunday October 26 after a two-day manhunt and forcibly deported.

During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, David Lammy was pressed on whether there had been any further mistaken releases after Kebatu.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “He’s the justice secretary. He’s responsible for the justice system. He needs to take responsibility.

“And I’m going to repeat it once more for the avoidance of doubt, because he did not answer it twice.

“Can he reassure the house that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?”

Lammy, who stood in for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, refused to confirm this and lambasted the justice system the government inherited from the Conservatives.

In the last year, the number of accidental releases from prison has more than doubled, with the Institute for Government reporting 262 accidental releases in 2024/25, up from 115 in the previous year.

This equates to around 21 accidentally released prisoners each month

It is understood that David Lammy found out about the mistaken release overnight, before PMQs on Wednesday.

According to a Ministry of Justice spokesperson, David Lammy had not been “accurately informed of key details” when he was asked about the case at Prime Minister’s Questions.

In a statement released after PMQs, the Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: “I am absolutely outraged and appalled by the mistaken release of a foreign criminal wanted by the police.

"The Metropolitan Police is leading an urgent manhunt, and my officials have been working through the night to take him back to prison.

“Victims deserve better and the public deserve answers. That is why I have already brought in the strongest checks ever to clamp down on such failures and ordered an independent investigation, led by Dame Lynne Owens to uncover what went wrong and address the rise in accidental releases which has persisted for too long.

“This latest incident exposes deeper flaws across the failing criminal justice system we inherited. Dame Lynne Owens’ investigation will leave no stone unturned to identify these issues, so we can fix them, improve safeguards and ensure the public is properly protected.”

Describing the news of the release as "shocking," Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Once again the Labour government has mistakenly allowed a foreign criminal to be released from prison.

“Justice Secretary David Lammy refused to answer five times at Prime Minister’s questions today whether any further foreign prisoners were recently released mistakenly. Mr Lammy needs to urgently confirm if the Ministry of Justice were informed about the release, and if he personally knew about it before PMQs. This makes a mockery of Lammy’s claims at PMQs to have introduced the “strongest checks ever” on release.

Speaking to broadcasters on Wednesday afternoon, the shadow home secretary said in his view, Lammy was "dishonest" with parliament and the country.

On suggestions the deputy PM had declined to answer when pressed during PMQs because the released prisoner was not an asylum seeker, Philp said that was "dancing on the head of a pin.

"Clearly the release of a foreign national criminal is relevant and germane to the question that was asked.

"He hid the truth, he was dishonest with parliament and dishonest with the public." (ITV, but headline rejigged)