Police have launched an urgent manhunt after a prisoner absconded from a medical facility in Lewisham, warning the public not to approach him if they see him.
Anthony Lloyd, 38, was last seen at around 4.10pm on Friday, 23 October, after forcing his way out of the unit. Officers say he was seen heading in the direction of Catford, and believe he could now be anywhere in London.
The Metropolitan Police issued a public appeal on Saturday afternoon, describing Lloyd as white, around 5ft 8, of medium build with short dark hair. He was wearing a grey and blue T-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms and white trainers when he was last seen.
Detective Superintendent Melanie Pressley, who is leading the manhunt, said: “We are conducting various significant enquiries to find Lloyd and return him to custody.”
She added: “We are concerned he poses a risk both to himself and the public, and would urge anyone who sees him to call 999 immediately. Do not approach him.”
“If you have any information – however small – that could help us locate Lloyd, please get in touch with police as a matter of urgency.”
What police have confirmed – and what they have not
What is confirmed is the core of the appeal: a 38-year-old prisoner, Anthony Lloyd, left a medical unit in Lewisham at around 4.10pm on Friday after forcing his way out, and was seen heading towards Catford. Police have published his description and what he was wearing, and have asked anyone who sees him to call 999 at once rather than approach him.
What police have not shared is the name of the medical facility itself, the reason Lloyd was there, or the offence for which he is in custody. None of that has been published in the appeal, and it would be wrong to guess at it. Officers have also not said how far they believe he has travelled since Friday afternoon – only that he could be anywhere in London.
That breadth is reflected in the appeal itself. Alongside London, police say Lloyd has links to Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Merseyside, so forces and the public well beyond the capital are being asked to look out for him.
Why an absconder appeal goes public
When a prisoner leaves custody outside the prison walls – in this case from a medical facility rather than a prison – police face a different kind of search from a routine missing-person inquiry. The person is known, described and, in the police assessment, a risk, so the appeal is deliberately public and urgent: a photograph and description go out, a reference number is published, and the instruction is unambiguous – call 999, do not approach.
That urgency also explains the timing. Lloyd went missing on Friday afternoon; by Saturday afternoon the Met had put out a full appeal with his name, description and clothing, and a named senior officer leading the hunt. The longer someone is at large, the wider the net has to be cast, and the appeal’s list of linked counties shows how quickly that net has widened beyond south-east London.
For people in Lewisham and Catford, the practical point is a simple one. The area where Lloyd was last seen is a busy residential and shopping corridor, with Catford town centre, its market and the station all within a short distance of the route he was seen taking. Anyone who was in the area on Friday afternoon and remembers seeing a man matching the description – grey and blue T-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms, white trainers – is asked to come forward, even if the detail seems small.
How to help
Anyone with information is asked to call 999 quoting CAD4739/23Oct. Police stress that even small details could help them locate Lloyd, and that members of the public should not try to approach or stop him themselves.
Officers say enquiries are continuing, and the appeal remains live. We will update this story if police confirm Lloyd has been found or release further details about the search.
Elsewhere in the capital this weekend, police have been dealing with a series of separate incidents: a man in his 20s was injured in an early-hours incident on Byng Street in Canary Wharf, a two-week crackdown across Essex and the London border led to 105 arrests, and a Woolwich shooting victim remains in a critical condition two days on. None of those cases is connected to the Lewisham manhunt.
