February 17, 2022 10.07 am This story is over 25 months old

Lincolnshire Police officers arrest absconder Paul Robson

He was arrested after a brief foot chase
Paul Robson, 56, absconded from HMP North Sea Camp near Boston on February 13. | Photo: John Aron for The Lincolnite and Lincolnshire Police

Lincolnshire Police have arrested dangerous sex offender Paul Robson, who was found in the Skegness area on his fifth day on the run.

Officers received a call from a member of the public reporting a sighting of Robson at Grand Parade in Skegness.

Six officers were in attendance and after a brief foot chase, Robson was arrested at 9:27am. He remains in police custody at the time of writing.

Robson, 56, was first reported missing from HMP North Sea Camp in Boston in the early hours of Sunday, February 13, triggering a nation-wide manhunt.

He had been serving a life sentence handed to him in 2000 for attempted rape and indecent assault of a woman in Oxford and had moved into the category D open prison on January 21.

East Area Commander Chief Superintendent Kate Anderson said: “We are pleased to report that we have arrested Paul Robson.

“We are grateful to the member of the public who called this morning to report a sighting, which led to the eventual arrest of Robson.

“At this stage, we don’t believe he had any accomplices or believe that he’s committed further offences.

“We are grateful to members of the public for their help and support in sharing our appeals and we’d also like to give thanks to everyone who have called in with potential sightings of him.

“We’d also like to extend our thanks to partner agencies and our officers for working tirelessly to apprehend Robson.”

During his sentencing at Oxford Crown Court, the judge called him a “menace to females” and said he should not be released until he poses no danger or is “enfeebled by age”.

Robson was moved to the open prison after having five parole requests rejected, the last of which prompted a decision by the Parole Board to recommend his move into open conditions.

More than 100 prisoners have absconded from HMP North Sea Camp near Boston in the last decade alone.

Last year, absconds were at their second lowest nationally since 1995, with 101 taking place, which was down from a peak of 1,301 in 2003-2004.