A man with links to Manchester who escaped from prison in Buckinghamshire this morning had been jailed for violent offences including kidnap, robbery and threatening to shoot his victims.
Police launched a manhunt for John Rooney when the 47-year-old disappeared from the Category D open prison, HMP Springhill in Aylesbury, at around 6.30am on Tuesday 25 August.
CCTV caught him arriving at a bus station in Bicester at around 7am before entering a local Sainsburys and buying a pay as you go mobile phone.
Investigators don’t know where he went after leaving the store but the convict has family links to Manchester.
Rooney was jailed for 20 years in May 2003 after a series of 23 violent robberies carried out to feed his crack cocaine and heroin habit.
The crime spree came to an end in a five-hour armed siege in Scarborough.
In November 2003 Rooney was sentenced to another four years in prison for robbery, kidnap and false imprisonment committed in the Manchester area, with 20 further offences of robbery and burglary also taken into consideration.
Greater Manchester Police has joined the cross-border search for Rooney, who is considered to pose a risk to the public.
Members of the public should not approach him, instead they should call 999 immediately.
Rooney is described as being white, 5ft 8ins, slim, with brown hair. He has tattoos on his left arm, his left wrist, hand and fingers, as well as on his right hand. He also has letters tattooed on his right fingers and a scar on his right hand.
He may also have other tattoos, particularly on his face, but these may not be visible.
When he left the prison he was wearing a blue top, blue jeans and was carrying a bag.
Chief Inspector Jim Troisi from Oldham police station said: “Greater Manchester Police are supporting an investigation to find Rooney and we are working closely with our colleagues in Thames Valley CID and the Force Intelligence Bureau so that we can locate him as soon as possible.
“Whilst there is no intelligence at present to suggest that Rooney is in the Greater Manchester area, it is possible he may come back to the region due to links to Manchester, including family links in Oldham.
“And to anyone that may be reading this that knows Rooney and has any information on his current whereabouts, please call police on 101.
“Alternatively, information can be passed to police anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
