Killers Held in Open Prison as Two Dangerous Offenders Abscond from HMP Leyhill, Sparking Public Safety Fears

Two men have gone on the run from the open prison, raising urgent questions about why dangerous offenders are being held in low-security conditions and the risks this poses to public safety.

It is deeply worrying that dangerous offenders, including killers, are being held in an open, low-security prison like HMP Leyhill. These are people who should be in secure conditions, yet the system has allowed them the freedom to walk away.

Police are urgently trying to find two men who absconded from HMP Leyhill between 5pm and 8pm on Thursday, 1 January. They are Matthew Armstrong, who has links to Warwickshire, and Daniel Washbourne, who has connections to Herefordshire. A third man suspected of leaving at the same time has already been arrested in Bristol.

This situation raises serious

questions about public safety and how offenders like this are being managed. The police are leading on the search and have released CCTV images showing what the men were wearing. National alerts have gone out and intensive work is under way to track them, but so far checks outside the area have not found them.

Please do not approach them. If you see either of these men, call 999 immediately quoting reference 5226000700.

People deserve to feel safe. Communities should not be put at risk like this.