A prisoner wrongly freed on Monday has handed himself back in, while police continue their search for a migrant sex offender who was also released in error.
Fraudster William ‘Billy’ Smith, 35, handed himself back in three days after he was released from HMP Wandsworth on Monday, the same day he was sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences.
Both releases are said to be due to “clerical errors”, as police continue their manhunt to relocate Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, who was mistakenly released from the same prison on 29 October.
It came as justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said prison chiefs were being summoned to crisis talks on Thursday and a team of digital experts had been tasked with overhauling the “archaic” paper-based system of prisoner records.
Surrey Police said: "We are cancelling our appeal to help find wanted 35-year-old William Smith who was released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Monday, November 3. Smith handed himself in to HMP Wandsworth today."
According to ITV News, which filmed his return, he was accompanied by his partner, who he hugged before speaking to prison staff at the prison's entrance.
Key points
- Wrongly freed prisoner has handed himself back in
- 'Clerical errors' responsible for release of prisoners
- Rise in accidental releases 'unacceptable', says Lammy
- Lammy dubbed a 'disgrace' by Jenrick
- What do we know about Brahim Kaddour Cherif?
Around five prisoners mistakenly released each week
17:24 , Harriette BoucherA total of 262 people were released from prisons in England and Wales in the year to March 2025, which is the equivalent to five people every week.
The Prison Governors Association (PGA) has said releases in error are "neither rare nor hidden", but said the scale of them was "deeply concerning".
According to the PGA, 0.5 per cent of prisoners are not released on the correct date.
"While that may appear to be a small percentage, in a system managing tens of thousands of releases and transfers each quarter, it does represent a significant operational failure.”
Royal Commission needed to solve prison crisis, says POA boss
16:58 , Harriette BoucherMark Fairhurst, the national chair of the Prison Officers Association, has called on the government to commit to an immediate Royal Commission to identify lasting solutions to the deepening crisis in our prisons.
He said: “Prisons throughout the country are underfunded, understaffed and operating under relentless strain.
“Dedicated staff are doing their utmost, but too often they are left without the proper support, training or technology to do their jobs safely and effectively.”
Reform MP calls for Lammy's resignation
16:31 , Harriette BoucherReform MP Andrew Rosindell has called for the deputy prime minister’s resignation after a “calamitous performance” in Commons on Wednesday.
Speaking to The Havering Daily, he said: “We need a Justice Secretary who will guarantee justice for law abiding British people, not one who lets dangerous criminals out of jail, putting innocent citizens at risk!”
Kemi Badenoch condemned Lammy’s performance at PMQs, saying it was clear he had answers that he refused to give.
When pressed on whether Lammy should resign, she said: "Let's find out exactly what he knew, and when, and why he refused to answer a very, very simple question."
Watch: Moment wrongly freed prisoner Billy Smith hands himself back in
16:10 , Harriette BoucherLammy says he was 'not equipped with all of the detail' during PMQs
15:50 , Harriette BoucherDavid Lammy has defended his performance at PMQs, saying he was "not equipped with all of the detail" about the error, after facing criticism for refusing to answer questions.
The justice secretary told reporters: "We have found out that the release that has caused concern this week was actually before I introduced those checks just a few weeks ago, following the release of Kebatu and the other prisoner, was a court mistake, not in fact, a prison mistake.
"I first found out about this on Wednesday morning. I was in the department, both learning from officials, but also preparing for Prime Minister's Questions.
"At the despatch box, I did not have all of the detail. That detail was actually released just later, after I had finished at Prime Minister's Questions. I took the judgement that it is important when updating the House and the country about serious matters like this, that you have all of the detail.
"I was not equipped with all of the detail. And the danger is that you end up misleading the House and the general public. So that is the judgement I took. I think it's the right judgement."
'Clerical errors' responsible for release of prisoners
15:27 , Harriette BoucherMark Fairhurst, national chair of the Prison Officers Association, said the accidental release of two prisoners was due to clerical errors.
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who is still on the run after being wrongly freed on 29 October, could not be held in custody lawfully due to the lack of a warrant.
For Billy Smith, who handed himself in on Thursday, the court failed to notify the prison that a custodial sentence had been imposed, Fairhurst said.
“The Prison Officers’ Association has repeatedly warned of the mounting pressures on staff and the outdated administrative systems across our prisons.”
'Mix-up with warrants' attributed to Kaddour-Cherif's release
15:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBrahim Kaddour-Cherif is still on the run after being mistakenly released on 29 October.
The national chair of the Prison Officers' Association told the BBC he believes the mix-up happened when Kaddour-Cherif returned from court.
“There should have been no way he was released, but it’s my understanding that there was a mix up with the warrants," Mark Fairhurst said.
"So when that person returned from court, we didn’t actually have the authority to hold him in custody, because we didn’t have a further warrant which outlined those further charges.
"So somewhere along the way, there’s been a clerical error.”
Badenoch brands Lammy's PMQ performance 'embarassing'
14:44 , Harriette BoucherKemi Badenoch has criticised David Lammy for his “embarrassing” performance at PMQs on Wednesday, in which Lammy has been accused of refusing to answer questions about the prisoner release error.
The Tory leader said there had been “an explosion in accidental prisoner releases,” many of whom she says are foreign criminals or sex offenders.
"We know that there will always be times when mistakes occur, but the scale at which it is happening is causing real worry, and what we saw yesterday with David Lammy unable to answer very simple questions was an embarrassment.
“He's going to have certainly a lot more questions to answer once Parliament is back sitting on Tuesday."
When asked whether Lammy misled the House, Badenoch said: "It's quite clear that he had answers which he refused to give.
“I think that all of that is going to come out in the wash. I think that it was a very embarrassing session for him deputising for the Prime Minister."
Labour's early release scheme to blame for mistakes, former chief inspector of prisons says
14:42 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLabour’s early release scheme to ease overcrowded prisons contributed to blunders that have seen multiple prisoners freed by mistake over recent weeks, it has been claimed.
Nick Hardwick, the former chief inspector of prisons, told the BBC that Labour’s plan “caused confusion in the bits of the prison service that are supposed to calculate how long someone is supposed to spend in prison”.
The early release scheme allowed for certain offenders to be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, down from 50 per cent.
Mistakes in the release of prisoners are happening 'all the time' and are symptomatic of the chaos within the system, the chief inspector of prisons warns
14:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSpeaking after the accidental release of asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu at the end of October, the chief inspector of prisons warned prisoners being released early, in error or even late is an “endemic problem” now that needs to be fixed by prison service leaders.
Kebatu’s case sparked protests and counter-protests on the streets in Epping, where he was living in asylum accommodation, and eventually outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Taylor said: “This is a case that has hit the news because it’s an incredibly high-profile prisoner convicted of a very serious offence.
“But the worry is that below the radar, this stuff has been going on a lot recently and I’m really worried about it.”
He described the case as “enormously concerning”, adding: “But I think it’s symptomatic of the chaos that we’re seeing within the system, where the number of prisoners who were released early has gone up.”
'We still don't have answers from Lammy,' Jenrick says
14:10 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick has hit out at David Lammy in a post on social media, telling followers we “still don’t have answers” from the justice secretary.
His shadow counterpart Jenrick stood outside the Ministry of Justice and asked “Where is David Lammy?” in a video posted on X.
“Here’s three questions that frankly any competent justice secretary would know the answer to,” he said.
“One: how many criminals have been accidentally released from prison this year?
“Two: Who are they? How many of them are dangerous or sexual offenders?
“And three: Where are they? How many of them are on the loose, just like the sex offender who was released from HMP Wandsworth last week?”
We still don’t have answers from David Lammy.
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) November 6, 2025
How many prisoners have been accidentally released this year?
How many of them are violent or sexual offenders?
And how many are still at large, roaming our streets? pic.twitter.com/zl0hSeZziF
Aides told Lammy addressing error in Commons would be 'career suicide'
13:46 , Harriette BoucherDavid Lammy rejected calls from speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to return to the Commons and give a statement on the error, as aides believed it would be "career suicide", according to The Times.
Lammy was aware of Kaddour-Cherif's release and had prepared to address it when he filled in for Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, but did not.
Watch: Lammy cannot say whether another asylum seeker has been accidentally released since Kebatu
13:25 , Harriette BoucherDavid Lammy told Shadow defence secretary to 'get a grip' when asked if there had been any further mistaken releases
13:04 , Harriette BoucherDavid Lammy refused to say whether any further asylum-seeking defendants had been accidentally let out of prison, after he was repeatedly asked at PMQs.
He told Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge to “get a grip” after he asked him multiple times whether there had been any further mistaken releases after Hadush Kebatu was freed.
Addressing Mr Lammy, Mr Cartlidge said: “He’s the Justice Secretary. He’s responsible for the justice system. He needs to take responsibility.
“And I’m going to repeat it once more for the avoidance of doubt, because he did not answer it twice.
“Can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?”
Mr Lammy, who stood in for Sir Keir Starmer, responded: “Get a grip, man, I know I’m the Justice Secretary, that’s why I’m at the despatch box.”
“We know that there have been spikes since 2021 under his watch. When did he come to this House and apologise?”
What do we know about about HMP Wandsworth?
12:47 , Harriette BoucherWandsworth Prison, a Victorian-era facility in south London, was built in 1851 to accommodate fewer than 1,000 inmates.
An August 2024 report by the prison’s independent monitoring board described the jail as “cramped” and “squalid,” noting that its population had swelled to 1,513.
“Wings were chaotic and staff across most units were unable to confirm where all prisoners were during the working day,” the report said.
The board said it could not carry out prisoner roll checks because officers were unable to provide accurate figures, adding that roughly one in three staff members were unavailable for duty on any given day due to sickness, restricted roles or training.
In April, the HM Inspectorate of Prisons reported that the population had since been reduced by about 150, alongside other “limited and fragile” improvements.
The prison made headlines in 2023 when former British soldier Daniel Khalife escaped by clinging to the underside of a delivery lorry.
Mistaken releases 'neither rare nor hidden', governors association says
12:21 , Harriette BoucherThe Prison Governors Association has said mistaken releases are "neither rare nor hidden", but said the scale of them was "deeply concerning", with 262 prisoners released in the year until March.
Ahead of a meeting with ministers, the PGA said 0.5 per cent of prisoners are not released on the correct date.
"While that may appear to be a small percentage, in a system managing tens of thousands of releases and transfers each quarter, it does represent a significant operational failure.”
The conditions to "reduce this figure to zero simply do not exist", the association said, adding it "feels disingenuous to see politicians attempt to extract political gain from a prison system in crisis".
Humilation for the government as one of the missing prisoners hands himself in
12:11 , Kate DevlinJustice secretary David Lammy has hailed that “William Smith is back in custody”.
What he did not mention, however, is how he got there. He was not apprehended. Instead, he handed himself in this morning – smiling cheerfully for the cameras and smoking a cigarette outside jail.
The pictures of the man who should not have been released smiling and joking and giving thumbs up outside prison are a humiliation for the government, which is failing to get the current crisis still under control.
Still missing is another prisoner, apparently given a six day headstart on the police before anyone raised the alarm.
Mr Lammy said his department was “modernising prison systems - replacing paper with digital tools to cut errors” and “working with police to recapture Brahim Kaddour-Cherif”.
- Analysis by Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor
Watch: Moment wrongly freed prisoner William Smith hands himself back in
11:58 , Harriette BoucherLammy says rise in accidental releases 'unacceptable'
11:58 , Harriette BoucherWrongly freed prisoner has handed himself back in
11:31 , Harriette BoucherBilly Smith, 35, who was mistakenly released from Wandsworth prison, has handed himself back in, sources have said.
Smith was sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences on Monday, the same day he was accidentally freed.
Surrey Police: "We are cancelling our appeal to help find wanted 35-year-old William Smith who was released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Monday, 3 November.
"Smith handed himself in to HMP Wandsworth today."
