Sightings of escaped prisoner after van getaway
Jamie Cooper was on the way to court when he leapt from the back of a GEOAmey van that had pulled over at Junction 2 of the M55 near Catforth, Preston, shortly before 09:00 GMT on Wednesday, Lancashire Police said.
The force said the last confirmed sighting of the 33-year-old, who is originally from Blackpool but has links to Bolton, Greater Manchester, was in the early hours of Thursday morning in Blackpool.
Detectives said there had also been sightings of him in Preston and in Bolton on Wednesday afternoon and warned the public to not approach him.
Anyone who has seen him is urged to call 999.
Who is escaped prisoner and how did he get away?
The latest image released by police showed Mr Cooper being escorted from police custody to the GEOAmey van before setting off to court.
A spokesperson for GEOAmey said the prisoner had faked an "on-board medical emergency" and the van was forced to pull over to deal with the situation.
"The detained person involved in this emergency then overpowered and evaded the escort officers and escaped from the vehicle," they said.
Mr Cooper is about 5ft 7in tall (1.7m) and has a medium build with short, cropped hair.
At the time he escaped he was wearing a blue coat, blue jeans and black trainers.
He was due to appear before magistrates in Lancaster to face charges of assaulting a police officer and criminal damage.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Who is escaped prisoner and how did he get away?
Prisoner on the run after faking emergency on M55
Lancashire Police
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with SIX count shoplifting spree across town centre
A man has been charged with six counts of theft from shops across a town centre. Officers on patrol in Blackburn town centre found that a number of shops had reported being shoplifted by the same offender. Anthony Eden, 48, of no fixed abode, was identified and arrested on Wednesday, July 23. He was charged with six counts of theft from shops in the town centre and taken into custody. Have a story? Get in touch at Eden appeared in Blackburn Magistrates Court earlier this afternoon (July 25), and will now serve the rest of his recall time in addition to 12 added weeks in prison. Anthony Eden was charged with six counts of shoplifting after officers stepped up patrols in Blackburn town centre (Image: Lancashire Police) The Neighbourhood Policing Team had increased foot patrols in the town centre as part of Operation Vulture and Safer Streets Summer. Operation Vulture aims to tackle shoplifting with dedicated officers undertaking hotspot patrolling, increasing their visibility in targeted areas and partnering with shops to share intelligence. A spokesperson for Blackburn and Darwen Police said: "As part of Safer Streets Summer and Operation Vulture, your local Neighbourhood Policing Team have been increasing high visibility foot patrol in Blackburn Town Centre. "Whilst on patrol, officers established numerous victim organisations who reported shopliftings by the same offender. READ MORE: Colne man to stand trial after denying driving and assault offences READ MORE: Haslingden man to be sentenced after making indecent images READ MORE: Colne paedophile jailed after grooming and abusing girls "On 23rd July 2025, Anthony Eden, 48, of no fixed abode was successfully identified and arrested. "Eden was charged with 6 x Theft from Shop in Blackburn Town Centre and was remanded in police custody to appear before Blackburn Magistrates this afternoon. "As well as serving the rest of his recall time, he will now serve an added 12 weeks in prison."
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘We miss him' – Family's heartfelt tribute and plea after man's death two years ago
A FAMILY have paid tribute to a 50-year-old man who was found dead in Lancaster two years ago. Damian Jackson was discovered at his flat at Regent Street, on July 25, 2023. A Home Office post-mortem found that he died due to multiple injuries, and a murder investigation was launched. Extensive and detailed enquiries by Lancashire Police's Force Major Incident Team have been ongoing since then. Two years on, Damian's family paid a loving and emotional tribute to him and asked the Lancaster public for help in finding answers to his death. His family said: 'This week marks two years since our beloved son and brother Damian was cruelly taken from us. 'Every day - and every week – brings more pain because we cannot see him again, however much we want one last hug or one last cup of tea together. 'Whoever murdered Damian is still out there. Please help us catch the coward who did this. 'You might know something unusual or something small about someone acting suspiciously. It would be the key to finding who murdered Damian. 'Please come forward if you know anything at all and tell the police immediately. 'Nothing can bring Damian back, but we still urgently need closure, and we wouldn't wish this to happen again, to another family. 'Damian loved Lancaster and the people of Lancaster. 'People of Lancaster please help us. We know you have the answers.' The last confirmed sighting of Damian was at 10.18am on Sunday 23rd July 2023, at the Aldi store, Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster - the first image shows Damian shopping in the store. (Image: The last confirmed sighting of Damian at Aldi, Aldcliffe Road. Credit: Lancaster Area Police) Anyone with information, please contact 101 – quoting log 0535 of 25th July 2023. Alternatively, you can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lebanese militant to be released after 40 years in French jail
One of France's longest-held inmates, the pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, will be released and deported on Friday, after more than 40 years behind bars for the killings of two diplomats. At around 3:40 am (01:30 GMT), a convoy of six vehicles left the Lannemezan penitentiary with lights flashing, AFP journalists saw, though they were unable to catch a glimpse of the 74-year-old grey-bearded prisoner. Abdallah was detained in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for his involvement in the murders of US military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. The Paris Court of Appeal had ordered his release "effective July 25" on the condition that he leave French territory and never return. He had been eligible for release since 1999, but his previous requests were denied as the United States -- a civil party to the case -- consistently opposed him leaving prison. Inmates serving life sentences in France are typically freed after fewer than 30 years. Once out of prison, Abdallah is set to be transported to the Tarbes airport where a police plane will take him to Roissy for a flight to Beirut, according to a source close to the case. Abdallah's lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, visited for a final time on Thursday. "He seemed very happy about his upcoming release, even though he knows he is returning to the Middle East in an extremely tough context for Lebanese and Palestinian populations," Chalanset told AFP. AFP visited Abdallah last week after the court's release decision, accompanying a lawmaker to the detention centre. The founder of the Lebanese Revolutionary Armed Factions (FARL) -- a long-disbanded Marxist anti-Israel group -- said for more than four decades he had continued to be a "militant with a struggle". After his arrest in 1984, French police discovered submachine guns and transceiver stations in one of his Paris apartments. The appeals court in February noted that the FARL "had not committed a violent action since 1984" and that Abdallah "today represented a past symbol of the Palestinian struggle". The appeals judges also found the length of his detention "disproportionate" to the crimes and given his age. Abdallah's family said they plan to meet him at Beirut airport's "honour lounge" before heading to their hometown of Kobayat in northern Lebanon where a reception is planned. mdh/vgr/lb/tym
