A MAN serving a life sentence for murdering his mother has absconded from a mental health hospital on the outskirts of York.

Mark John Rutter, 42, has not been seen since he left Stockton Hall Hospital, Stockton-on-the-Forest, at 10am on Wednesday.

He has been at the hospital since 2005 and was jailed for life in 1998 after he murdered his 55-year-old mother, Mary Josephine Rutter, and burned her body in a garage at their home in Staffordshire in April 1997.

Mr Rutter was on a scheduled four-hour unescorted leave from the hospital and was heading to York, which he does once a week.

He usually takes the 10.10am bus from the village into the city, but it is not known if he made that journey on Wednesday morning.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said Mr Rutter had shown no cause for concern during this time at Stockton Hall and was described by staff as a “model patient” having made substantial progress in his rehabilitation.

The fact he had not returned to the hospital was out of character, and the fear was he had come to harm rather than being a threat to others. Inspector Dave Sutcliffe, of the York Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We are following a number of lines of enquiry to locate Mr Rutter and return him safe and well to Stockton Hall Hospital.

“As part of these enquiries, we are appealing for anyone who may have seen him to contact the police as a matter of priority.

“We realise local people may have concerns but there is nothing to suggest that Mr Rutter poses a danger to the public.

“Nevertheless, we advise that he is not approached directly. Please just call the police if you think you recognise him from the photograph and description.”

Mr Rutter is described as white, 5ft 11ins tall, with short, dark brown hair, brown eyes with a medium build. When he was last seen, he was wearing a blue and white jacket, grey tracksuit bottoms and trainers.

He has an interest in horse racing and is known to frequent betting shops in York.

Anyone who can assist the search for Mark Rutter should phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110173223.