Police hunt ex-boyfriend of stabbed jail teacher

Detectives released a picture of Keith Prest, 48, who is unemployed and of no fixed address.

He is described as white, about 6ft 2in, and of thin build. He is said to have met Louise Evans, also 48, a year and a half ago.

Police were also searching the cliffs at Folkestone after claims that a man had thrown himself off the day after the killing.

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Miss Evans was found by a colleague slumped behind her car outside East Sutton Park open prison in Sutton Valence, near Maidstone, at 5.15pm on Wednesday.

She worked at the jail, giving literacy classes to the inmates. She was clutching her car keys and had been about to open the driver's door when the killer struck.

Miss Evans had been on her way home to the village of Hothfield, near Ashford, 21 miles away.

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A post mortem examination concluded that she died from multiple stab wounds. Detectives are not linking her death to inmates at the prison.

Superintendent Steve Corbishley of Kent Police said yesterday: "We urgently need to talk to Mr Prest and would appeal to him to contact us.

"If anyone has seen a man matching his description, or photograph, or knows of his whereabouts, we would ask them to call us immediately by dialling 999.

"I cannot stress enough that under no circumstances should Mr Prest be approached by anyone as he may present a danger to himself or others."

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Miss Evans's daughters, who are aged 24 and 27, yesterday paid tribute to their mother.

They said in a statement: "We are devastated by what has happened. She wasn't just our mum, she was our friend and a loving sister."

Kent Police have set up a major incident room at their Maidstone headquarters with 20 officers working on the case.

Officers spoke to prison staff and inmates yesterday as part of the investigation.

A source at the prison said: "The atmosphere has been really strained here since the death. Security is extremely tight at the moment.