Jailed son freed in father mix-up

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/7689800.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Prison officers released the wrong man after an "administrative error" led to him being mixed up with his father, the Ministry of Justice said.

Father and son, both called Terence Clegg, were in HMP Durham, with the elder Clegg due for release.

But prison officers mixed up the two men's papers and freed the son, who was on remand awaiting trial, on Thursday.

Northumbria Police are now trying to trace the 23-year-old. The father, 53, of Newcastle, has since been released.

'Rare occurrence'

A Ministry of Justice spokesman, speaking on behalf of the Prison Service, said: "Due to an administrative error, a prisoner was released from HMP Durham on Thursday.

"This is now a matter for the police.

"This type of clerical error is a rare occurrence and the prison will hold an investigation to determine how it happened."

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said the force was "making every effort" to locate a man on behalf of the prison service.

Clegg Junior, of Kenton, Newcastle, is understood to have been in custody on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.