Yarl's Wood: Detainees flee detention centre after riot

Police searching for detainees who escaped from an immigration removal centre after a riot have recaptured a man in his 20s.

Bedfordshire Police confirmed 13 people fled from the Yarl's Wood centre in Bedfordshire on Friday evening.

The force said five were found during the weekend but eight had remained on the run after escaping through perimeter fencing.

One detainee was found in Warwickshire, leaving seven still unaccounted for.

He was being transported back to Bedfordshire after being arrested on suspicion of escaping lawful custody.

Detectives said they were confident of making more arrests with law enforcement agencies carrying out inquiries across the country to trace the remaining escapees.

The unit is run for the Home Office by private firm Serco.

Bedfordshire Police was notified of a "disorder involving a number of detainees" shortly before 22:00 BST on Friday.

The escapees - all Albanian men - are in their 20s with one in his 30s.

Det Supt William Hodgkinson said: "We are taking this investigation extremely seriously and working with law enforcement agencies across the country to capture and return the escapees.

"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."

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the escapees to contact them.

The Home Office said a "disturbance" at the unit, saw detainees use gym equipment to cause damage to property and the grounds.

In a statement it said: "There were no injuries to staff or residents.

"There are robust security measures in all immigration removal centres and an incident such as this is extremely rare.

"We treat all security issues extremely seriously and are working closely with the police and our contractors to urgently review measures."

The Home Office added that Bedfordshire Police was leading the operational response.

A Serco spokesman confirmed in a statement: "No-one was hurt and our team at Yarl's Wood reacted swiftly and decisively and the centre is now calm and fully under control."

Yarl's Wood, in Milton Ernest near Bedford, is an immigration removal centre where people with disputed immigration status can be detained without a defined time limit. It has been run by Serco since 2007.

In 2019, figures showed almost three quarters of those held at the centre were returned to their communities in the UK.

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