'Identity switch escape' man held

Police have arrested a man in Hampshire after a remand prisoner walked out of a court allegedly by switching identities with his twin brother.

Simon Maclellan, 27, from Gosport, was on remand at HMP Winchester but went missing on Friday afternoon when he was released by magistrates.

It is thought he was mistaken for his twin brother Mark who was on remand for a lesser offence.

Hampshire Police confirmed a man was arrested in Fareham on Saturday.

'Internal investigation'

Police on Friday arrested another 27-year-old man on suspicion of aiding and abetting an escape.

Detectives said Mark Maclellan had been due to appear at Fareham Magistrates' Court.

The pair are not identical twins but the mistake was not spotted by prison officials until shortly after 2100 BST on Friday.

A statement released by the Ministry of Justice said: "A prisoner from HMP Winchester was mistakenly released instead of his brother.

"The prison are treating it as an escape and an internal investigation is under way."

Maclellan is due to stand trial in August in connection with an offence of grievous bodily harm.

Two other people, a man and a woman, are in custody in connection with the inquiry and will be questioned later, police said.