GB News star Michael Portillo has launched a blistering attack on Britain’s public services, warning they are "breaking down" after a migrant was wrongfully released from prison on Friday evening.
Michael said the public is "holding their heads in their hands" as repeated failures come to light.
He described the release as "astounding", given the prisoner’s case had already sparked public disorder and policy changes.
The comments come after the Metropolitan Police announced this morning that they have found and re-arrested migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu, who was accidentally released from prison on Friday.
Michael Portillo fumed at the 'astounding' case of the missing migrant
|GB NEWS
"I might be speaking for the public when I say that there's a feeling that our public services are just breaking down,” Michael said in response to the news.
"He of all people is released wrongly," he said.
“But it turns our he's only one of 260 people in a year released wrongly.
"The general public will be holding their heads in their hands as we see this sort of display by our public services?"
Former director of the UK Border Force Tony Smith added: "It is a very unfortunate for both Ministry of Justice and the Home Office that this has happened.
"I expect people have been pulled in over the weekend for forensic investigation as to what happened.
Kebatu has been caught and re-arrested
| CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE"But I mean, I think this is a question of dual detention really. Normally when foreign national prisoners are time served, there should be a detention order in place under the Immigration Act as well.
He added: "But you're right in that it was a very, very high profile case indeed.
"I'm very surprised that more senior supervision was not going on with him daily to make sure that this sort of thing didn't happen.
"I expect there will be a very significant inquiry going on."
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Michael went on to compare the blunder to a surgeon operating on the wrong leg.
He explained: "Right now, if I go in for an operation, I expect my surgeon to operate on my right leg and not my left leg if it's the right leg that has the problem.
"Is it too much to expect the Prison service not to release the wrong person? Is that that asking too much?"
The Ethiopian national had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping and was jailed for 12 months in September for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.