Police believed to have contacted Westwater's family and friends
Phillip Westwater was being escorted from his ward to a restaurant in a separate building - but still on hospital grounds - when he went missing.
Police are understood to have contacted friends and family of the 'Black Dog Strangler' who live in the Tyneside area.
'Black Dog Strangler' caught after a day on the run
A convicted killer dubbed the 'Black Dog Strangler' has been found and returned to a secure hospital after a day on the run.
'Black Dog Strangler' escapes from secure hospital
A convicted killer, who was dubbed the Black Dog Strangler, has escaped from a secure hospital, Northumbria Police said.