Man convicted of attempted murders has run away from prison - police launch major search

John Laidlaw, 44, absconded from Kirklevington Prison in Stockton-On-Tees on Bank Holiday Monday, Cleveland Police said.

Laidlaw, a white British man who is from the Hertfordshire area, was convicted of three attempted murders and sent to prison in 2007.

He was moved to Kirklevington Prison in 2024, where he has recently been on unsupervised day release on a regular basis.

Laidlaw works in the car valeting service at the prison, which is open to the public, and it was following his shift there on Monday shortly after 2pm, that he went missing according to police.

When he was last seen, he was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt, blue cargo style trousers and white and blue trainers.

Superintendent John Wrintmore, said: “John Laidlaw was reported missing to Cleveland Police at around 4.30pm today.

"We have officers and dogs doing land searches around the area of the prison, and we have deployed the drone as we continue our efforts to locate him. We are also quickly working through CCTV footage and conducting numerous lines of enquiry.

“John is not from the area, so at the moment we have no indication where he may be headed, or if he may have travelled from Yarm train station, either North or South.

“Whilst I understand there may be concerns amongst people in the local area, I can say we do know John has regularly been on day release from the prison, unsupervised.

“Anyone who thinks they might have seen John is asked not to approach him, but to dial 999.”

UPDATE:

The 44-year-old man who absconded from Kirklevington Grange Prison on Monday May 4, has now been located.

The man was found in Billingham shortly after 8am this morning, Tuesday May 5, and arrested.

He is currently in police custody in Middlesbrough, police said.