Police manhunt for drug dealer who escaped prison by climbing fence

Police are searching for a convicted drug dealer who escaped prison more than three weeks ago.

Oliver Mazirel absconded from HMP Ford by climbing a fence on 30 June, Sussex Police said.

The 38-year-old was serving a sentence at the open prison near Arundel in West Sussex for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Two men, aged 35 and 38, from nearby Worthing, have been arrested on suspicion of helping Mazirel after his escape, Detective Inspector Gary Jacobs said on Wednesday.

DI Jacobs said officers "are looking for a third person who we also believe assisted him" and have warned that anyone helping the escapee could face a lengthy spell in prison.

"We intend to return Mazirel to prison, and I want to make it very clear as to the consequences of assisting someone who remains at large," he said. "It is a serious offence that carries a prison sentence of up to ten years."

Mazirel, who "has links to Worthing and Littlehampton", according to the detective, is described as 5'7" (1.7m) tall, with short light brown hair.

Sussex Police published a CCTV picture of the prisoner just before he escaped.

DI Jacobs urged anyone with any information "however small, that could help us in our search for Mazirel" to get in touch.

News of the arrests came as a new controversy erupted over the government's early release scheme, launched in 2024 to relieve prison overcrowding.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham promised on Wednesday to review the scheme, after it emerged two of the men convicted over the killing of PC Andrew Harper, could be eligible for the plan.

Lissie Harper, Mr Harper's widow, called the potential early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers "deplorable", while his mother, Debbie Adlam, told The Daily Telegraph the idea "makes me feel sick".

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On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting was overheard joking about the early release of prisoners with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and the new Justice Secretary Alex Norris as Mr Burnham's new cabinet met for the first time.

In the comments, picked up by a microphone, Mr Streeting suggested to Ms Mahmood that Mr Norris was "the enemy now" and "wants to let them all out".

Mr Streeting said it was a reference to a joke shared between former Conservative ministers Theresa May and Kenneth Clarke. Mr Streeting and Ms Mahmood apologised for the incident.

(c) Sky News 2026: Police manhunt for drug dealer who escaped prison by climbing fence