A convicted sex offender who was accidentally released from a London prison has been returned to custody following a six-day police manhunt.
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, from Algeria, was mistakenly freed from Wandsworth prison in south London on 29th October, but the error was only reported to authorities nearly a week later.
The mistaken release and delayed response
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Kaddour-Cherif was arrested in Islington on Friday 4th November, ending the search for the wrongly freed inmate.
Police officials expressed significant frustration about the delayed reporting of the prison error, noting that the offender had been given what they described as a "six-day head start" before authorities were alerted to begin their search.
The prison service only notified the Metropolitan Police about the mistaken release on 4th November, despite Kaddour-Cherif having walked free on 29th October.
Criminal history and immigration status
Kaddour-Cherif had been serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal at the time of his mistaken release.
His criminal record includes a conviction for indecent exposure in November 2024, for which he received an 18-month community order and was placed on the sex offender register for five years.
The Algerian national first entered the UK on a visitor visa in 2019 but was identified as having overstayed on 6th February 2020.
Despite being flagged as an overstayer five years ago, he had not been removed from the country and was in the initial stages of deportation proceedings when the prison error occurred.
Police investigation and public safety concerns
According to police sources, Kaddour-Cherif had not applied for asylum in the UK.
The Metropolitan Police warned that the offender uses variations of his first name, including Ibrahim, and has known links to the Westminster and Tower Hamlets areas of London.
This incident raises serious questions about prison security procedures and communication between correctional facilities and law enforcement agencies.
The case follows similar security breaches in the prison system, highlighting ongoing concerns about public safety and the management of offenders with both criminal and immigration issues.
