Ford; Reward Offered For Help Finding Absconder

A £1,000 reward has been put up by police searching for a missing convicted murderer who has gone on the run for a second time.

Detectives suspect Paul Flint, 48, has committed three burglaries in Brighton and Hove since he walked out from Ford Open Prison in West Sussex in July.

And police say he is likely to carry out more crimes as they warned the public not to approach him and to dial 999 immediately if spotted.

The latest disappearance by Flint, who was jailed for murder and burglary in 1990, comes just over a year since he failed to return to Hollesley Bay prison in Suffolk.

He was released on temporary licence but did not return to the jail on June 2 last year. He was arrested five days later in the Bedminster area of Bristol after being Tasered.

Since his disappearance from Ford Open Prison, Sussex Police believe he could have travelled to north London, and officers have been in touch with Scotland Yard.

Detective Inspector Dave Richards, of Sussex Police, said: "This reward has been offered to help encourage anyone who may have any information about where Paul Flint is to come forward.

"We would urge anyone who knows of his whereabouts to make contact with police. We think he is likely to commit more offences unless he is arrested so I would urge anyone that sees him to contact us immediately. But please do not approach him, just dial 999.''

Flint is one of a string of dangerous inmates to have walked out from low-security jails.

In July, convicted paedophile and rapist Adam Mark went on the run after absconding from an open prison for the second time.

The 37-year-old, described by police as "exceptionally dangerous'', is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 1996 of three rapes and one attempted rape involving strangers.

He went missing from Leyhill Prison in south Gloucestershire but was arrested two days later after he was spotted by a member of the public.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said the level of absconding from open prisons in 2012/13 was the second lowest since records began and are still 13% lower under this Government.

The MoJ was looking at ways in which the risk of absconding could be cut further and that they were "committed to ensuring that risk to the public is minimised''.

Flint is black, 5ft 11in and stocky. He has black greying hair, wears glasses and has an English accent. He has "Paul'' tattooed on his fingers on his left hand.