Five more prisoners freed in error after sex offender’s release from Essex jail

The further cases underline the strain the prison service is under, according to the Prison Officers’ Association. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

Five other prisoners have also been released by mistake in the same week a convicted Ethiopian sex offender was allowed to walk free from an Essex jail, says the prison officers’ union.

The disclosure of further mistakes highlights the intense pressure on prison staff, according to the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).