A DANGEROUS prisoner was on the run last night after he was freed by two armed men as he was being taken by cab to hospital.

Police have launched a massive manhunt to find convicted robber Neil Brennan, 21, and have warned the public not to approach him.

Brennan, who was six months into a six-year jail term at HMP Forest Bank in Salford, escaped yesterday afternoon just yards from the prison gates.

He was being escorted by two unarmed prison officers from the privately-run Agecroft prison to Hope Hospital, where he was due to receive treatment for a minor hand injury.

They had just left the jail at around 3pm when a silver 4x4 car pulled-up in front of the private-hire cab at the junction of Forest Bank Drive and Agecroft Road.

The driver and passenger got out and threatened the prison officers with a gun, forcing them to release Brennan from his handcuffs.

The gun was not fired during the hijack and no-one was injured. Brennan made off with the two men in the car.

Police have warned Brennan could be dangerous. The area around the prison was cordoned off immediately after the incident and Forest Bank was put on "lock-down" for about an hour, with visitors kept inside while security was checked.

Last night Prisons Minister Paul Goggins ordered a review of the use of cabs to transport prisoners. Police said they didn't know the prison was using cabs to move prisoners.

Brennan was sentenced in September 2004 and is believed to have been on remand at the prison previously.

It is understood that early inquires suggest the escape was very well organised and that Brennan may have deliberately injured himself so he would be taken to hospital.

Calm

He had claimed the injury had happened the night before when his hand became trapped in a door-frame during a fight with another prisoner.

HMP Forest Bank - which is a medium category prison housing 1,040 prisoners - is privately-operated by UK Detention Services (UKDS).

The company is under contract from HM Prison Service and has defended its use of private hire cabs.

A UKDS spokesman said: "Taxi services that are accredited and security checked by police are used throughout the prison service.

"The prison has been completely calm all day. The police did close off the area temporarily with people and vehicles unable to come and go.

"Obviously the incident will be fully investigated. We can see no need for a change in procedures as a full risk assessment had been carried out."

Nearby residents said they were unhappy about security at the prison.

Student Laura Dunbar, 21, lives near the jail with mum Angela, dad Chick and brother Liam, 13.

She said: "We weren't happy when the prison opened and now they've got prisoners escaping, we're even more worried. I can't believe that they are using taxis that we all use to transport prisoners around.

"You would think that they would use a secure police van, it's just not good enough really.''

Paul Goggins, Prisons Minister and MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said there would be a review to see whether prisons will be allowed to use cabs in future.

He said: "Whilst the urgent matter is to find this man, clearly there will need to be a careful look at operational issues which might arise from this."

He said this would include decisions on whether cabs should be used to transport prisoners.