Police hunt for escaped prisoner

Andrew Farndon escaped from court in 2007

Police are continuing to hunt for a “dangerous” prisoner who escaped when two guards were threatened at gunpoint as he arrived at a Suffolk hospital.

Andrew Farndon, 26, who is serving an indeterminate sentence for causing grievous bodily harm was being taken by taxi to hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

Det Ch Insp Nick Bennett said people should not confront Farndon or the gunman.

Farndon previously escaped from court by leaping from the dock in 2007.

Farndon had arrived at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds at 18:50 GMT on Wednesday when the gunman threatened the guards.

Hospital staff raised the alarm after saying they could see a man with a gun outside the accident and emergency department, pointing the weapon at two prison officers.

‘Degree of planning’

Moments later, police received a second call from the prison officers, from HMP Highpoint, who said they had a gun pulled on them by a man who had confronted them as they arrived.

Both the prisoner and the man with the gun had then run away across the car park. No-one was hurt in the incident.

Farndon is described as white with a shaved head and goatee beard, and was wearing a dark blue baseball cap and a light-coloured jumper that was padded on the right side due to an injury to the shoulder.

He was a Category C prisoner, a security classification which meant he was considered unlikely to make a determined escape attempt.

But after his escape, Det Ch Insp Bennett said it seemed “highly likely” the injuries Farndon had received in prison were contrived to ensure a trip to hospital.

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Detective Chief Inspector Nick Bennett said the public should not approach Andrew Farndon

He said: “That obviously seems highly likely. I don’t think we can look at any other eventuality.

“There would appear to have been a degree of planning in this, with associates on the outside.”

Asked if Farndon was dangerous, the detective said: “He was convicted of GBH which, barring murder, makes him as dangerous as you can get.

“We’ve had the police helicopter up, deployed dogs, spoken to a number of members of the public who witnessed it, and recovered a number of items from the area.

“We know at least two people are involved, maybe more. Members of the public should not approach him.”

Dark-coloured car

The man with the gun is described as white, in his mid 40s, around 5ft 8in, of stocky build, possibly with a Scottish accent. He was wearing a white top and blue jeans.

It is thought they may have escaped in a dark-coloured car.

Police said they had begun a comprehensive search of the area, including the use of the force helicopter, and are liaising with other agencies and talking to witnesses.

Officers are asking anyone with information about the incident or where Farndon is now to call Suffolk Police as soon as possible – using 999 if necessary for sightings, or 101 to pass on information.

Police are advising members of the public not to approach either of the men but to call officers straight away.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said it was a matter for the police, but a full Prison Service inquiry would follow.

Police are not linking the incident with the escape of category A prisoner John Anslow, who was sprung from a prison van after it left Hewell Prison in Worcestershire on Monday.

Three masked men ambushed the van, smashing its windows with sledgehammers and punching the driver.

The van was taking inmates from the prison near Redditch to Stafford Crown Court.