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Reward offered for escaped prisoner

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A £10,000 REWARD is being offered for information which helps capture escaped prisoner John Anslow.

Staffordshire Police are offering the money as the manhunt for the 31-year-old suspected murderer, who escaped after the prison van he was being carried in was ambushed in Hewell Lane in Tardebigge, continues.

Det Supt Martin Evans said since issuing a nationwide appeal yesterday (Monday) they had received several calls and were following several lines of inquiry.

"Staffordshire Police are offering a £10,000 reward for information that leads to Anslow’s arrest and return to prison. We’re hoping this sizeable reward will encourage those who know where Anslow might be to come forward. All calls will be treated in the strictest confidence.

"Our appeal to trace Anslow is spreading far and wide across social media. So far, we’ve reached over half a million people on Facebook and we’ve asked all other UK forces to run the appeal on their own social media sites.

"We’re directly appealing to friends or associates of Anslow who know where he might be to ring the incident room on 01785 235051. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111."

A 44-year-old man from the Tipton area was arrested last night on suspicion of assisting an offender after raids on five properties carried out by armed officers from West Midlands Police. He is currently still in custody. Det Supt Evans added they had recovered property as a result of the searches which was now being examined.

Police have also issued pictures of the silver Volkswagen Scirocco - registration number BT59 NXC - the gang used to make their getaway with Anslow shortly after the ambush. It was abandoned a short distance from the scene before they switched to a silver Mercedes with the partial registration number KR11 in Stoney Lane in Bromsgrove.

"We’re looking into several calls which came into to our incident room about possible sightings of the silver Mercedes car used by Anslow and his associates, " Det Supt Evans added.

"We’re also very keen to speak to anyone who might have seen the silver Volkswagen Scirocco in the wider Bromsgrove or North Worcestershire area prior to the incident at 8.20am yesterday.

"We’d continue to remind people that Anslow has been charged with murder and is considered very dangerous. Anyone who sees him should not approach him but should ring 999 immediately."

Anslow, who is charged with the murder of Richard Deakin who was shot dead in Chasetown Staffordshire last year, has connections across the country as well as abroad and may have already left the country. Airports and trains stations are on high alert while the UK Border Agency has already been informed as well as authorities overseas.