Published: 18 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online
Police in London have launched a major manhunt after a convicted prisoner escaped custody from two separate hospitals in less than a week, raising serious questions about security procedures for offenders needing medical treatment. The Metropolitan Police confirmed their search for Daniel Boakye, 21, after the second disappearance on Sunday, marking a remarkable and troubling double escape.
Boakye was being treated under police supervision at Lewisham Hospital in southeast London on Sunday afternoon when officers say he slipped away around 3:05 pm and vanished before they could detain him. This comes just days after he first absconded from custody on 10 February while being cared for at West Middlesex University Hospital in west London. He was subsequently found by officers at an address in Thamesmead on 11 February and re‑arrested, before somehow escaping again.
Boakye is serving a sentence at HMP Feltham for multiple robbery offences and is also reportedly due for deportation from the UK to Ghana. Police have described him as violent and dangerous, with noted gang affiliations, and have urged the public not to approach him if seen.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers gave chase at Lewisham Hospital but were unable to regain custody before he left the building. The force has alerted its Directorate of Professional Standards to review the circumstances surrounding the incident — including how Boakye was able to escape police supervision not once, but twice in quick succession.
Boakye is described by police as a 21‑year‑old male of medium height and slim build, last seen wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a dark Nike jacket. Authorities are appealing for information from members of the public that could help locate him, asking anyone with sightings to contact the police urgently and quote incident reference CAD4005/15FEB.
The double escape has sparked concern from criminal justice watchdogs and officials, who say it highlights weaknesses in the way custodial escorts are managed when inmates require hospital care. They warn that security lapses of this nature not only endanger the public but also undermine confidence in the prison and policing system’s ability to keep dangerous offenders in custody during external transfers.
























































































