Justice Secretary David Lammy has revealed the exact number of inmates still at large after being mistakenly released from prison.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Lammy confirmed three convicts have evaded capture from the authorities.
The Justice Secretary also reassured the public that none of the offenders have previous convictions for sexual offences.
“We understand that there are three mistakenly freed prisoners currently and willfully at large,” Mr Lammy said.
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Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy faced a grilling in the House of Commons
“Their prison records show that none of these are convicted sex offenders. I have been informed, Mr Speaker, this afternoon that HMPPS are investigating a further case of a potential release in error from November 3.”
However, Mr Lammy went on to explain that the three inmates mistakenly released had been imprisoned for failing to surrender to police, being in possession of Class B drugs and aggravated burglary.
The update comes just hours after the Ministry of Justice confirmed 91 prison releases have been made in error between April and October this year.
“Further data on the breakdown of offences are official statistics that need to be combed through in detail before being put in the public domain," Mr Lammy added.
The Justice Secretary was forced to make an update to MPs after he came under fire following the mistaken release of two illegal migrants: Ethiopian small boat sex offender Hadush Kebatu and Algerian visa-overstayer Brahim Kaddour-Cherif.
Police re-arrested both offenders, with Kebatu being deported to Ethiopia and Kaddour-Cherif being returned to HMP Wandsworth.
During the fiery exchange in the House of Commons, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick confronted the Deputy Prime Minister about his blunder.
Mr Jenrick said: “Get a grip, man, he thundered last week without a hint of irony. Like increasing numbers of criminals in our jails, our justice secretary doesn’t know if he’s coming or going.
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Robert Jenrick has called on David Lammy to ‘get a grip or go’ while addressing the Commons | GB NEWS“Even his colleagues in Government are now turning on him - some with unbridled contempt.
“The handling is terrible was the verdict of a cab minister, just rank incompetence, cowardly, frankly pretty dodgy, was the verdict of another.
“Before long, the Prime Minister will be saying he has full confidence in him - and we all know what that means.”
He added: “Two weeks ago, he came to the House and said he’d put in place ‘the strongest checks ever’ to stop releases in error. 48 hours later, another prisoner with a history of sex offences was released in error.
Hadush Kebatu, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and William Smith were all released by mistake | ESSEX POLICE/METROPOLITAN POLICE/SURREY POLICE“Seven days later and a fraudster was let out the very day - he was sentenced to 45 months inside.
“And today he admits he may have lost another prisoner that same day. They’re Lammy’s lags.”
Mr Lammy was also given a telling off by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
Following the Justice Secretary's opening remarks, Sir Lindsay said: “Can I just clear something up, and it’s not got to happen.
David Lammy has admitted there is a 'mountain to climb' to tackle the crisis in the prisons system | PA"First of all, I was told that this Secretary needed 13 minutes. Bear with me - and I said look, you need to ask.
"The Department said it was 10. It wasn’t 10, it was almost 12 minutes.
“I will work with Secretaries of State but it is 10 minutes. If there needs to be an extension, please ask, don’t keep changing the times. In the end it is unfair on shadow ministers when it goes over.
“Please, stick to the rule of 10. To have this conversation with the Department that it was no longer needed makes your Department took foolish and it’s certainly not going to make me look foolish in the future.”
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