BBC Breakfast viewers were left fuming after Justice Secretary David Lammy spoke out following the release of an asylum seeker who was mistakenly released from prison. Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu’s escape came just weeks after he was jailed for sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in Essex. He was being sent to an immigration detention centre from HMP Chelmsford before his deportation on Friday, but managed to get on a train to London, and is now “at large”.

Speaking on camera, Lammy said he was “livid on behalf of the public”, and said that “Kebatu should have been deported”, adding there was now a manhunt between Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police (BTP) and Essex Police for the asylum seeker. When asked how it had happened, Lammy said: “Well there will be a full investigation, a search is underway and an officer has been suspended,” pending the investigation.

He added: “Let’s be clear Kebatu committed a nasty sexual assault involving a young child and a woman. And for those reasons this of course is very serious.”

Viewers watching Lammy’s statement at home rushed to X to share their fury at the error, as one said: “Lammy should resign,” as another raged: “THIS GOVERNMENT IS THE NASTY BAD JOKE!”

A third asked: “Hmn. Something doesn’t ring true about this. How often do we ever hear about a prisoner being released by the prison services by mistake?”

A fourth ranted: “He should have been deported from court.Surely they could have found a detention centre he could have stayed in until they booked his flight to Ethopia. Nows the time to do same exercise to all immigrants in prison. Why should we put a roof over their head,bed to sleep on & food.” (sic)

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We are urgently working with police to return an offender to custody following a release in error at HMP Chelmsford.

“Public protection is our top priority, and we have launched an investigation into this incident.”