There have been multiple sightings of Jamie Cooper, the man who overpowered guards and escaped from a prison van on a busy motorway, triggering a massive manhunt across the north west. Police are urgently appealing to the public for assistance as they continue their search for the escapee, which has now reached its third day.
On Wednesday morning, 33-year-old Cooper was in transit with other inmates to Lancaster Magistrates Court, when the van was forced to pull over after he reported a medical emergency. A video shared by the BBC appears to show him fleeing down the side of the motorway, after overpowering GeoAmey guards.
GEOAmey said in a statement: “Whilst in transit to Lancaster Magistrates’ Court the vehicle had to pull over on the M55 in the Catforth area to deal with an on-board medical emergency. The detained person involved in this emergency then overpowered and evaded the escort officers and escaped from the vehicle.”
Since his escape, reports have pinpointed Cooper all over the region, including in Bolton, Preston, and Blackpool. His last confirmed location was Blackpool on Thursday morning, but he remains at large.
Lancashire Police have released a fresh image to aid the public in identifying him as the search intensifies. The new image of 33-year-old Cooper from Blackpool shows him being transported from police custody to the GEOAmey van he later escaped from.
He is described as 5ft7ins tall, with a medium build and short cropped hair. He was last seen wearing black trainers, blue jeans, a grey top, and a blue coat, which can be seen in the newly released custody photo.
The police have also disclosed that he has connections to Bolton as well as Blackpool.
Lancashire Police issued an update on Thursday night: “At 8:54am yesterday morning (Wednesday, March 19) we received a report of a man absconding from a GEOAmey vehicle taking prisoners from Blackpool custody to Lancaster Magistrates Court. This happened on the M55, near to Junction 2, close to Catforth.
“The last confirmed sighting of Cooper, 33, was in the early hours of Thursday morning in Blackpool. There have also been sightings in Preston and in Bolton on Wednesday afternoon.”
The public are being urged not to approach Cooper but to call 999 and report the sighting immediately. Any other assistance that the public can offer can be submitted through 101, quoting the reference number 0237 of March 19.
Lancashire Police also stated: “As our search for Cooper continues, we want to reassure you that we are committed to finding Cooper and bringing him to justice.
“We have a dedicated team of both uniformed officers and detectives searching for Cooper and running an investigation. You may see them out and about as they continue to conduct these enquiries and if you have any concerns or information, please do approach them.”
