Arsonist released 29 months early in prison blunder

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Christopher Pocock, 52, was jailed last month for a string of arson attacks. In one, he started a fire in a hostel with 17 residents inside.

He should not even have been considered for parole until next year.

Pocock was released from Camp Hill Prison in the Isle of Wight on Thursday and has not yet been traced.

The Prison Service has started an internal investigation into the error, which has been condemned as a "complete shambles" by one victim of Pocock's crimes.

Alan Hawkins, 56, who lost £4,000 when the arsonist destroyed some of his beach huts and sunbeds last year, said: "I am absolutely disgusted and I know a lot of other people locally will be too.

"I did not get any compensation for the damage caused. He was put in prison after being told that was punishment enough, and the next thing you know they have released him by mistake. This is disgraceful. The prison service is a complete shambles."

The debacle comes a fortnight after a damning report by the chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers into the workings of Camp Hill jail.

She condemned it as a "backwater", lacking any coherent or positive direction, and said it had "some serious and underlying problems".

Pocock, a former groundsman, was jailed at Isle of Wight Crown Court on March 14 after pleading guilty to three charges of arson and one count of committing arson recklessly.

Hampshire Police said that Pocock, of Newport, Isle of Wight, did not pose a risk to the public.