Prison van escapee caught

Three people have been arrested by police investigating the escape of two prisoners from a prison van last week.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police, supported by colleagues from Lancashire, "carried out a strike" on a car near Lancaster University this afternoon.

Police are still hunting for 19-year-old Ryan McDonald, who escaped from a prison van last week.

Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said they are no longer looking for 31-year-old Stevie McMullen, who was also sprung from the prison van.

“This afternoon, we have arrested a 31-year-old man in the Lancashire area as part of this operation, but our efforts will continue to trace 19-year-old Ryan McDonald, who is still wanted by police," he said.

"On Friday, a £10,000 reward was put forward for information leading to the capture of these two men. This full £10,000 reward still stands for anyone who gives us information that leads to McDonald’s arrest and will be paid when he is back behind bars".

He urged members of the public not to approach McDonald "due to the potential danger he poses", but to call the police immediately.

Stevie McMullen, one of two men sprung from a prison van in Salford last week, has been arrested in a car in Lancashire, a Greater Manchester Police spokesman confirmed today.

Two people have been detained following the escape of two prisoners from a prison van near Manchester.

A manhunt is under way following the escape, which occurred when van they were travelling in came under attack in Salford.

A 28-year-old woman and 24-year-old man were detained at a house on suspicion of being involved in assisting an offender.

The man was also arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs and breaching a court order.

They remain in police custody for questioning.

Police have appealed for anyone with any information on the prison van attack in Salford, Manchester, to contact 0161 856 5665/5237.

At least three men wearing dark clothes and balaclavas attacked a prison van in Manchester and threatened staff transporting the prisoners with a shotgun, police said.

The men arrived at the scene in a dark coloured Saab and freed prisoners Ryan MacDonald, 20, and Stevie McMullen, 31, Greater Manchester Police said.

The five men then got back into the car and drove a short distance before abandoning it.

Police believe they ran towards Phoebe Street in the Ordsall estate and that two possibly then rode a motorbike found abandoned on Thurlow Street.

Police have named two prisoners who escaped after the van they were travelling in came under attack in Manchester.

Stevie McMullen, 31, was on trial having been charged with conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to possess a firearm.

Ryan McDonald, 20, was due to be sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan from Greater Manchester Police said: "The public should not approach either man and if anyone knows where they are or saw these men escaping I would urge them to contact police immediately."

The ambushed van was operated by prisoner escort firm GEOAmey and was on its way to a courtfrom privately-run HMP Altcourse near Liverpool.

Altcourse is run by G4S, the firm behind the Olympics security fiasco, and was the first designed, constructed, managed and financed private prison in the UK.

The Category B jail takes young offenders and adult male prisoners either sentenced or on remand from courts in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales and can hold up to 1,324 prisoners.

Gillian Roberts witnessed the raid on the prison van as she was driving to work along Regent Road in Salford.

A Prison Service source suggested the prison van ambush would probably involve one of the escapees having access to a smuggled mobile phone.

A phone call could then be made or a text sent to let the armed gang know which prison van they were in and so which vehicle to target, among the number of vans making their way from jail to Manchester Crown Court.