David Lammy had lost a fourth mistakenly released prisoner in a hammer blow to the Justice Secretary.
Sources from the Ministry of Justice admitted the inmate was mistakenly released last week but now claim the convict has been re-arrested.
The revelation comes just days after Mr Lammy was grilled in the House of Commons about inmates being released by mistake.
Mr Lammy admitted three inmates were at large and conceded a fourth could be on the loose.
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It is understood that the fourth man was freed from HMP Leicester, a Category B men's prison, on November 3, following instructions from the court that he was bailed on all charges.
Over a week later, the institution was informed that the man had only been bailed for one of many charges and was therefore freed in error.
Following today's confirmation of a fourth mistakenly released inmate, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Calamity Lammy didn’t know his Department had lost a prisoner for over a week. He’s asleep at the wheel.
“Since Lammy introduced his 'strongest ever checks' three prisoners have been mistakenly released.
David Lammy had overseen a fourth mistakenly released on his watch
| PA"They’re failing and the British people are being put at risk on a nearly daily basis as a result. There’s never been a better time to be a criminal.
“How can the Prime Minister have any confidence in Lammy to keep the public safe?
“Why won’t Lammy be honest with the public and say who this prisoner was and what his criminal record is? Yet again he’s concealing the truth to limit his personal embarrassment.”
No10 was forced to admit earlier this week that it was "shocking" that 91 inmates have been wrongly released from prison since April this year.
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Robert Jenrick blasted Mr Lammy for being 'asleep at the wheel'
|GB NEWS
More than 262 had also been released in error in the year to March 2025.
Among the prisoners currently on the run Albanian drug dealer who has been on the run for a shocking 15 months.
The foreign criminal, who was serving time for class B drug offences, was released in August 2024.
The two remaining fugitives currently at large are both British nationals.
The Justice Secretary vowed to ramp up measures to return prisoners released in error
|PA
One had been incarcerated for aggravated burglary before their erroneous release in June, whilst the other was mistakenly freed in December 2024 after being detained for failing to appear before police.
Of the total 353 erroneous releases, 91 occurred between April and October this year, with the remaining 262 happening earlier in 2024, according to figures Mr Jenrick had demanded be made public.
Mr Lammy offered what he termed "an unequivocal apology to all who have faced worry, or worse as a result of releases in error”.
He specifically expressed contrition to the relatives of a 14-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu, who was accidentally released last month.
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