HC Deb 19 December 1952 vol 509 c293W
Mr. McAdden

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have escaped from Wakefield Prison since the war; whether he will make a statement on the circumstances under which Robert Harrington Sanders escaped from there earlier this month; how far special precautions were taken in dealing with this prisoner who had already previously escaped from custody on two occasions; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made as to the conditions prevailing and precautions taken at this prison.

Sir D. Maxwell Fyfe

The number of prisoners who have escaped from Wakefield prison since the war is 29; 28 from the prison itself, one from the satellite camp administered from the prison.

Sanders was employed as a night stoker, which is a position reserved for prisoners who are considered to be trustworthy. At 8 p.m. he was allowed to leave the main prison building without supervision, in accordance with normal practice, to stoke-up for the night the boilers which are within the prison wall. He then escaped by means of a grapnel hook and lengths of electric light cable. His absence was reported at 8.10 p.m. and the alarm was given.

No special precautions were taken in dealing with this prisoner because throughout the period of over six years which he has served of his present sentence his behaviour had been good and he had for over a year been employed in positions of trust.

The reports relating to this escape are still under consideration, and I should prefer to complete my study of them before deciding what further action, if any, I ought to take.