Suspected drug dealer escapes police custody in Birmingham

Jan 29 2012 by Jonny Greatrex, Sunday Mercury

A SUSPECTED drug dealer escaped from police custody when he was escorted to a Midland hospital by a special constable.

The 18-year-old man attacked the male volunteer cop and a woman police officer, then kicked through a window at City Hospital, in Birmingham, from which he fled on Friday night.

The breakout is the third high profile prisoner escape in a week and follows the nationwide manhunt for Coventry convict Andrew Farndon and Tipton murder suspect John Anslow.

West Midlands Police arrested the latest prisoner escapee due to allegations that he had been growing cannabis.

The special constable and WPC took the teenager to hospital after he complained that he felt unwell.

He attacked them and absconded while they waited on a ward with him.

Officers launched a frantic manhunt involving a police helicopter.

The teenager was arrested less than an hour later and charged with one count of escaping from lawful custody and two counts of section 20 minor assault.

West Midlands Police is expected to axe 2,700 jobs by 2015 in a bid to save £126 million.

Birmingham Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart said using a special constable to escort a prisoner to hospital was “sloppy policing”.

The Labour politician said: “Police need to look at procedures to see if it was the right use of a special constable.

“They also need to look at why a prisoner was able to get away when it was two against one.