Wubi News

Lammy under pressure after two prisoners released by mistake

2025-11-06 19:00:04

Justice Secretary David Lammy is under growing pressure after two prisoners were released from the same London jail by mistake.

Lammy, who is also deputy prime minister, had promised to introduce the "strongest checks ever" to prevent further errors after the accidental release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu from Chelmsford prison in Essex last month.

But on Wednesday it emerged two more men - including an Algerian sex offender - had been mistakenly released from Wandsworth prison over the past week.

Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said Lammy has "got to get a grip", describing the situation as "a total shambles".

Police have released images of two men who were mistakenly released from Wandsworth Prison - 24-year-old Brahim Kaddour-Cherif (left) and 35-year-old William Smith

Jenrick admitted the previous Conservative government's record on prisons was "poor and unacceptable".

However, he added: "It's a total shambles what we're seeing right now where the number of people being accidentally released from our prisons has risen off the charts in the last year, under this Labour government."

Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.