A British prisoner described as “very dangerous” is among five inmates who have escaped from a high-security prison in Portugal.
Mark Cameron Roscaleer, 39, has been serving a nine-year sentence in the Vale de Jedeus jail after committing kidnap and robbery.
President of the National Union of Prison Guards Frederico Morais described Roscaleer as “very dangerous” and advised that he and the four others should not be approached.
“They managed to jump a net because there are no guards to watch the perimeter… put the ladder against the wall and, from there, with a handmade rope, they climbed over the wall,” he said.
The men, who are all aged between 33 and 61, escaped on Sunday morning, with investigators saying they had “external help” from accomplices.
The other fugitives have been named as Fernando Ferreira, 61, Fabio Loureiro, 33, Rodolf Lohrmann, 59, and Shergili Farjiani, 42.
They were serving sentences including drug trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering and theft.
Speaking to the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias, the national director of the Judicial Police, Luis Neves, said the escape was “very well prepared”.
He told a news conference that the group had already tried to escape from prison, and added: “When I say everything, I mean everything, including the fact that human life may be at stake here.”
Hermínio Barradas, president of the Association of Chiefs of the Prison Guards Corps (ASCCGP), criticised security at the prison, saying there had been no watchtowers for nine years.
According to both the ASCCGP and SNCGP unions, the prison had only half the number of guards needed to oversee more than 500 inmates.
There had been a delay in alerting the authorities as the guards became aware of the escapes when the inmates were due to return to their cells.
An internal investigation has been launched by the Portuguese prison service.