Sex offender accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth arrested eight miles away

An undated handout photo released by Britain's Metropolitan Police in London on November 7, 2025, shows the custody photograph of Brahim Kaddour Cherif. British police said on November 5, 2025, they had launched a manhunt for two prisoners, including an Algerian, mistakenly released from Wandsworth jail, angering parliamentarians at the latest mix-up committed by the UK's beleaguered prison system. London's Metropolitan Police force said in a statement it was looking for 24-year-old Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a registered sex offender, after he was released in error a week ago. Separately, police in Surrey, southwest of London, said that Wandsworth prison had on Monday mistakenly released another man, William 'Billy' Smith', convicted of multiple fraud offences. (Photo by Metropolitan Police / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by -/Metropolitan Police/AFP via Getty Images)
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif is now back in police custody after being missing for several days (Picture: Metropolitan Police)

The second Wandsworth prisoner on the run has been arrested after being mistakenly released.

The Metropolitan Police said Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian man, has been arrested in Islington, north London after being accidentally freed last Wednesday from HMP Wandsworth.

In an update on social media, they wrote: ‘Officers have arrested Brahim Kaddour-Cherif who was released in error from HMP Wandsworth on October 29.

‘Cherif was spotted by a member of the public in Blackhorse Lane, Islington just before 11.30am. Officers responded immediately and he was arrested.’

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 6: A sign is displayed on the wall of HMP Wandsworth on November 6, 2025 in the Wandsworth area of London, England. Yesterday, the prison announced that it accidentally released two prisoners in recent days. One of those prisoners, William "Billy" Smith, turned himself in earlier today but the police are continuing to search for the second, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
It comes after one of the mistakenly released prisoners turned himself in (Picture: Getty)

The Metropolitan Police previously said Kaddour-Cherif, who also goes by Ibrahim, was convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure relating to an incident in March that year.

He was handed an 18-month community order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

Kaddour-Cherif’s most recent prison sentence was for trespass with intent to steal. 

Metro understands he recently appeared in court on a charge of failing to comply with sex offender requirements.

Metro also understands that Kaddour-Cherif is not an asylum seeker and entered the UK legally on a visitor’s visa in 2019 but overstayed. He was in the process of being deported when he was accidentally freed from prison.

Footage taken by Sky News this afternoon shows Kaddour-Cherif, wearing glasses, a grey jumper, black headband, dark green trousers and a backpack.

He is seen being placed in handcuffs by police officers while denying he is Brahim.

Another prisoner, Billy Smith, 35, who was also accidentally freed from the same prison on Monday, has since handed himself back in.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *