Murderer 'escaped once before'

Clayton was on an escorted trip to prepare for his impending release

A murderer who escaped from a prison guard during an escorted visit in Stafford had absconded on a previous occasion in 2007, it has emerged.

Brian Clayton, 45, of Chelmsley Wood, West Midlands, was last seen in the town at about 1525 BST on Wednesday.

He was serving a 25-year sentence at Featherstone Prison near Wolverhampton for murdering a man in a fight in 1984.

Detectives said he could be hiding in the Birmingham or Solihull area and warned people not to approach him.

Clayton was in Stafford on an escorted prisoner visit to prepare for his impending release, Staffordshire Police said.

The first escape

He was jailed in 1984 for murdering a man during a drunken brawl in Birmingham.

Clayton was released on licence from his murder sentence for the first time in 2005 but was convicted of robbery and sent back to prison.

In 2007 he absconded from Sudbury Open prison in Derbyshire. It took police seven weeks to capture him on that occasion.

Police believe he may have returned to the Chelmsley Wood area of Solihull where he is from.

Chf Insp Mark Riley said: "Clayton had no affinity with Stafford, but we can't rule out the fact that he may still be in the area, or may have travelled to Birmingham or further afield."

Clayton is described as white, about 5ft 9ins tall, of average build with cropped brown hair and green eyes.

He was last seen outside Boots in Market Square, Stafford, and has tattoos on his arms and hand and a Birmingham accent, the force said.

He is considered potentially dangerous and anyone who sees him is asked not to approach him but to dial 999 immediately.