Police shut two motorways in hunt for escaped prisoner

Drivers were forced to sit in their cars for hours on Wednesday after police closed two motorways in the hunt for an escaped prisoner.

Cheshire Police stopped all traffic in every direction on the M56, at the junction with the M6 northbound, at around 6pm as officers tried to find Jonathan Simpson.

Simpson, 40, was last seen at HMP Thorn Cross in Appleton, Warrington, at around 9am on Wednesday morning.

Drivers were left waiting by their cars until around 8pm, when police started to release them.

Some stuck on the road tweeted about their experience, with one user describing how an ice cream van was selling sweet treats to motorists.

Ross Harper told the Manchester Evening News: “I think somebody must have knocked on the ice cream van window asking if they could get an ice cream and then the next thing you know more and more people were rocking up to get one.”

Simpson, who has links to the the West Yorkshire area, is described by police as a white male, who is around 5ft 11in tall with black shaved hair.

He has green eyes and a beard and was last seen wearing a dark navy Under Armour tracksuit and has ‘Krystal’ tattooed on his upper right arm.

Inspector Neil Anson, of Cheshire Police, said in a statement: "We currently have numerous officers and police dogs visible in ongoing searches for Simpson.

"While numerous enquiries are ongoing we’re urging anyone who sees Simpson to not approach him but to instead call Cheshire Constabulary immediately on 999 quoting IML 1228955.

"Officers will be maintaining a presence around the prison and in the local area to provide reassurance to the community. If you have any concerns please do speak to one of them.”

Yahoo News UK has contacted Cheshire Police for an update.

Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.