HMP Wandsworth, a correctional facility in south London, has reported the mistaken release of two individuals. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, an Algerian national who had overstayed his visa and was a registered sex offender, was inadvertently released on Wednesday, October 29. The Metropolitan Police were informed of his release on Tuesday, November 4. Separately, William Smith, 35, a fraudster also known as Billy, was mistakenly freed from the same prison on a Monday, prompting an appeal from Surrey Police.
These incidents occurred shortly after Justice Secretary David Lammy had implemented stronger security checks for jails. Mr. Lammy stated he was "absolutely outraged" by the releases, which Downing Street characterized as "a concerning case." A former justice minister, Cartlidge, highlighted the Justice Secretary's responsibility for the justice system. In response to the latest incidents, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) called for a comprehensive "entire overhaul" of the sentencing calculation and prisoner discharge processes, urging against blaming individual officers for what it described as systemic failures.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/05/police-urgently-looking-for-prisoner-freed-by-mistake-in-london