Murderer Shaun Walmsley's escape: Three arrested Published duration 24 February 2017

image copyright Merseyside Police image caption Shaun Walmsley was one of four men convicted of the same murder in 2014

Two men and a woman have been arrested by detectives investigating the escape of a convicted murderer in Liverpool.

Shaun Walmsley, 28, was getting into a cab with prison officers outside Aintree Hospital when he was sprung from custody by two armed men.

Merseyside Police arrested a 27-year-old man and a woman, 26, at a property in Norris Green on Thursday evening.

A 25-year-old man from Norris Green was held on Friday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

The pair arrested on Thursday were questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender before being released pending further inquires.

image copyright Merseyside Police image caption Police released CCTV images of the escape

Walmsley, described as "highly dangerous", is one of four men serving life sentences for the "vicious and savage" stabbing of Anthony Duffy in 2014.

He was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years.

Walmsley fled from outside Aintree University Hospital in a gold Volvo after two armed men ambushed the car he was travelling in on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier, CCTV images were released showing the moment the armed men threatened prison officers.

image copyright Merseyside Police image caption Police said a number of people in the area may not have realised what was going on during the escape

Det Supt Natalie Perischine said: "The CCTV shows that the people involved in the actual incident were in a very close huddle and we know that although a gun and knife were used by the offenders, they were not blatantly on show to other people walking by.

"These witnesses may not have realised what was going on. They may have thought it looked a bit odd, but probably wouldn't have thought anything of it.

"We do know that the gold Volvo was blocking the rear of the car which was meant to take Walmsley back to prison, and this was making access to a roundabout at the hospital difficult and one delivery driver was forced to mount the kerb to get past."

A £2,000 reward is being offered by Crimestoppers for information that leads to Walmsley's arrest.