John Anslow escape: Police appeal on Crimewatch

Police believe John Anslow escaped in a Volkswagen car

A TV appeal has been made to help find a "dangerous" man who escaped from a prison escort van in Worcestershire.

John Anslow, 31, escaped near HMP Hewell Grange, near Bromsgrove, on his way to Stafford Crown Court on Monday.

Mr Anslow, who is from the Tipton area, was charged last week with the murder of Richard Deakin in Chasetown, Staffordshire, in July 2010.

Staffordshire Police appealed for information on BBC's Crimewatch programme.

The force said a Facebook appeal had already reached two million people.

Mr Anslow fled when the van he was travelling to court in was ambushed in Worcestershire. Police have described him as "dangerous".

'Far and wide'

A 44-year-old man, also from the Tipton area, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and later released on bail.

Det Supt Martin Evans said: "Our appeal to trace Anslow has spread far and wide and there's obviously a possibility that he's travelled abroad or may be planning to do so.

The Scirocco, with the number plate BT59 NXC, was found abandoned a short distance from the scene

"If this is the case, there will be people who know about it and we want to speak to them and we want to speak to anyone who knows where Anslow might be."

Police also want to talk to anybody who saw a silver VW Scirocco with registration BT59 NXC or a silver Mercedes with the registration KR11 when the incident happened on Monday.

Staffordshire Police are working on the investigation with West Midlands and West Mercia forces.

A £10,000 reward for information has been offered and four other men have also been charged with murder.