Police make arrest in hunt for Albanian man who escaped Bedfordshire immigration detention centre

Police searching for eight men who escaped from an immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire following a riot have made an arrest.

The man in his 20s was arrested by police in Warwickshire today on suspicion of escaping lawful custody.

He is being transported back to Bedfordshire for questioning.

The men escaped following a disturbance at the Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre last Friday. Initially 13 people fled the site after detainees used gym equipment to damage the building and break the doors. Five were soon tracked down by police.

The arrest today means seven detainees are still at large, but detectives say they are confident of making further arrests over the coming days.

Detective Superintendent William Hodgkinson from Bedfordshire Police, said: “We are taking this investigation extremely seriously and working with law enforcement agencies across the country to capture and return the escapees.

“Please be assured that we are doing everything in our power to return the men and I expect that we will make further arrests over the coming days.

“I understand that this incident has caused concern among local residents, and I wish to reassure people that there is no risk to the local community as a result of what has happened.

“The immigration removal centre itself is calm and has returned to normal and I know staff there are working hard to prevent any further incidents like this from happening.”