‘Call 999’: All police have said about man who escaped from prison van as search enters third day with sightings
Jamie Cooper fled a prison van after overpowering guards on Wednesday morning
07:47, 21 Mar 2025
A newly released image of Cooper before he boarded the van(Image: Lancashire Police)
A manhunt is underway to trace an escapee who managed to break free from a prison van by overpowering the guards and fleeing down the motorway.
Sightings of Jamie Cooper have been reported across Greater Manchester[1] as the search enters its third day. The 33-year-old was had been on the way to Lancaster Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning alongside other prisoners when he managed to flee custody.
Article continues belowPolice have released CCTV images of the 33-year-old as the search across Greater Manchester and Lancashire continues.
What do we know about the escape?
Cooper had been on his way to Lancaster Magistrate's Court from Blackpool when the GEOAmey van he was travelling in was forced to pull over due to an apparent medical emergency on the M55, near to Junction 2, close to Catforth.
It is here that the 33-year-old 'overpowered and evaded' the officers and made off from the vehicle.
Jamie Cooper(Image: Lancashire Police)
A video circulated by the BBC[2] shows Cooper running across a field parallel to the motorway, looking over his shoulder.
A spokesperson for GEOAmey said: "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[3] involved in this emergency then overpowered and evaded the escort officers and escaped from the vehicle."
Where has he been sighted?
In the time since, Cooper has been sighted across Greater Manchester and the wider north west, with the police receiving reports of the man in Bolton,[4] Preston, and Blackpool.
What to look out for
Police say Cooper was last known to be wearing black trainers, blue jeans, a grey top, and a blue coat, which he can be seen wearing in the newly released custody photo.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE[5]
Officers have also revealed that he has links to Bolton as well as Blackpool.
A recently released image of Cooper, from Blackpool, shows him being taken from police custody to the GEOAmey van that he later escaped from.
He is described as being 5ft7ins, with a medium build and cropped short hair.
A newly released image of Cooper before he boarded the van(Image: Lancashire Police)
Lancashire Police said in 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[6] on Wednesday afternoon."
Members of the public are being urged to not approach Cooper but 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.
Article continues belowLancashire Police also said: "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."