A top prisons researcher has said the government's proposed checks cannot immediately fix a system that is breaking down from multiple angles, with no available 'quick way out'

Accidental inmate releases have "become quite common" an expert has warned, with the number of errors rising faster than the UK's overall prison population.

The London Metropolitan Police and Surrey Police were this week searching for two inmates, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old sex offender, and convicted fraudster William "Billy" Smith, 35. While both were being held at Wandsworth, Kaddour-Cherif was released by mistake on October 29 - although police weren't informed until November 4 - and Smith on November 3. Smith has since handed himself in, while Kaddour-Cherif, from Algeria, was returned to Wandsw

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