A UK-wide manhunt for a prisoner who went on the run after an armed ambush has ended with his arrest in Ayrshire.
Andrew Farndon, 26, escaped from custody outside West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Wednesday.
Police said he fled with the assistance of an armed accomplice who threatened prison guards with a gun.
A spokesperson for Strathclyde Police said on Saturday: “Following a joint investigation between Strathclyde and Suffolk police, we can confirm that on Friday 27 January 2012, officers from Strathclyde Police arrested Andrew Farndon in New Cumnock, Ayrshire.
“The 26-year-old had escaped from prison officers in Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday 25 January 2012.
“He is currently detained in police custody.
“As a result of this joint investigation, a further four people, three men aged 16, 33, and 43, and a woman aged 44 have been arrested and are presently detained in police custody for allegedly attempting to pervert the ends of justice.”
Farndon, who is held in Highpoint prison near Newmarket, was taken to hospital on Wednesday evening for treatment for a reported knife wound. Upon arriving at the hospital’s accident and emergency unit, the two guards accompanying Farndon were allegedly confronted by an armed man. The man is said to have threatened the prison officers before fleeing the scene with Farndon.
Farndon, who is serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection, was convicted in 2007 of grievous bodily harm after carrying out a hammer attack.
It is anticipated that the other four people currently in police custody will appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday.
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