An urgent manhunt is under way after a prisoner escaped from a transport vehicle outside Liverpool Magistrates' Court. Merseyside Police launched the search after Stephen Grzyb, 22, got out of the vehicle and fled on foot shortly after it arrived at the court.
Grzyb, from the West Derby and Dovecot areas of Liverpool, was being transferred from Belle Vale custody suite to the magistrates' court when the escape happened. He was due to appear before magistrates, and the case was reported to be linked to a burglary investigation. Police have not commented on the charges he was facing.
As part of the appeal, officers released an undated photograph of Grzyb. The image was issued by Merseyside Police as the force urged the public to help trace the 22-year-old. In its appeal, Merseyside Police said: «Anyone who sees him should call 999 immediately.» The force has not disclosed how Grzyb managed to escape from the transport vehicle.
The escape happened in a public area outside a working court, where custody vans routinely deliver defendants for hearings. Grzyb had been held at Belle Vale custody suite before the transfer, and the journey between the custody suite and the court would have taken him through parts of the city before reaching the court building. Police have not said whether he was alone at the time or whether anyone else was involved.
Police have not confirmed whether anyone has been arrested in connection with the escape. Inquiries are continuing, and officers are working to establish exactly what happened when the transport vehicle arrived outside the court. The force has appealed for witnesses and for anyone who knows where Grzyb is now to come forward.
Merseyside Police said the search was being treated as a priority, with officers continuing their inquiries across the city. The 22-year-old remains at large, and anyone who believes they have seen him has been asked to contact the emergency services immediately.
The manhunt is being led by Merseyside Police, which has urged residents in the West Derby, Dovecot and wider Liverpool areas to remain alert. Further information may be released as the investigation develops, but officers have stressed that anyone who sees Grzyb should call 999 without delay.
