POLICE are hunting a man who escaped from Ford prison almost a month ago.  

Christopher Grinham, 37, absconded from Ford Open Prison near Arundel on September 24, but it has taken prison authorities and Sussex Police a month to put out a public appeal for him. 

They now believe he may have made his way to Surrey. 

There was a possible sighting of the convicted burglar more than a week ago but he is still at large.

Grinham is white, with light brown hair, blue eyes, slim and about 5ft 5in.

Grinham was jailed after being snared by one of the Metropolitan Police’s elite “super-recogniser” squad last October. 

But less than a year into his sentence he has walked out of the open prison – which has been troubled by escapes in recent years. 

Last year The Argus revealed dozens of prisoners were still on the run after absconding from the open prison over the past ten years. 

Fraudsters and a murderer are among 37 who ran away from Ford Open Prison between 2004 and 2015 and have not been recaptured.

The Ministry of Justice yesterday refused to say how many were still at large

Robert Donovan, now 60 or 61, was jailed for life after stabbing to death a man in London but failed to return to Ford after day release in June 2010. 

A spokesman for Sussex Police said they had not released any appeal for Grinham after his escape and had only now issued the appeal to find him because of “recent sightings”.

In total they waited nine days before asking the public for help. 

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the timing of an appeal to trace escaped prisoners was entirely down to the police. He added the MoJ would have notified the force as soon as he was unaccounted for. 

Anyone who may have information relating Grinham’s whereabouts is asked to contact Sussex Police on 101, or online quoting reference 47170138067.