French cardboard box jail escapee caught

Mr Treiber posted his prison ID to a French magazine

A French murder suspect who escaped custody in a delivery van after hiding himself in a cardboard box has been recaptured after weeks on the run.

Jean-Pierre Treiber had evaded police for more than two months, proclaiming his innocence in letters to the media.

He was arrested near Paris with three people suspected of helping his escape.

The French government had complained that Mr Treiber's escape was romanticised by the media and this had hindered police efforts to capture him.

Correspondents say the manhunt has been followed with keen interest, with media publishing surveillance pictures of Mr Treiber walking around Melun, the small town where he was later captured.

He has written letters to his girlfriend and posted his prison ID card to a French magazine.

The arrest comes just days after that of Tony Musulin, who became an internet sensation after stealing 11.6m euros (£10.4m; $17.4) from the security van he was driving.

He said the heist had been prompted by poor treatment by his employers.

Mr Musulin handed himself in to police in Monaco on Monday after an 11-day manhunt.