Afternoon:
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954 recalled offenders at large
07.07.09
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Almost 1,000 criminals who should have been returned to prison are still at large, it has been revealed.
Among those still on the run are 20 murderers, 15 rapists and 140 burglars, the Ministry of Justice said.
But officials refused to name those still at large, despite police forces issuing detailed wanted notices on some cases.
The Ministry of Justice said that at the end of March 954 offenders were still at large in England and Wales who had been recalled to prison for breaching the terms of their release.
Among them were some criminals who should have been returned to prison up to 25 years ago. A total of 19 offenders recalled between 1984 and 1999 remain at large. A further 142 have been on the run for between five and ten years and never apprehended.
Police and probation services were criticised last month when it emerged delays meant sadistic killer Dano Sonnex was free to kill French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez despite being recalled to jail.
The data - released for the first time - revived fears serious criminals are being allowed to roam free instead of being behind bars.
Shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve said: "The whole point of releasing prisoners on licence is that they can be monitored and returned to prison if they breach. The public will be shocked that the Government has lost track of almost 1,000 criminal fugitives - including murderers, paedophiles and sex offenders.
Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo, the probation union, said: "It is of real concern that nearly one thousand offenders who have been recalled to custody have gone missing. Many pose a threat to the public."
MoJ officials rejected requests for details of those on the run for more than a decade, saying it would not be "appropriate" for them to be identified. A spokesman defended the department's performance on recalls as "creditable" and said police had an "action plan" in place to deal with outstanding cases.
