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Two prisoners are on the run after escaping from HMP Pentonville in north London, the Ministry of Justice has said.

Prison officers are said to have discovered the escape this morning when they checked on two inmates in the jail's G wing and found mannequins in their beds as a decoy.

Police were called to the prison just before midday and quickly set up an investigation to hunt the inmates, aged 28 and 31.

The incident comes after a six-hour riot involving hundreds of inmates at another prison in Bedford last night.

(Image: Getty)

No details of the escape have yet been confirmed by the Ministry of Justice.

"Public protection is our top priority and we take escapes from custody extremely seriously," a Ministry spokesperson said.

"We are working closely with the police and are urgently investigating the matter."

One of the inmates who has escaped was serving a "very long sentence", the BBC said.

The pair used diamond-tipped cutting equipment to cut through cell bars before climbing a perimeter wall while leaving the mannequins in their beds, the broadcaster said.

A London Metropolitan Police spokesman said police in Islington were called to HMP Pentonville at 11.44am this morning "following reports of two escaped prisoners".



"Officers attended and established with prison staff that two male prisoners, aged 28 and 31, escaped from the prison," the spokesman said.



"Enquiries are ongoing to locate them. Police in Islington investigate."

HMP Pentonville in north London is a category B Victorian prison which opened in 1842 and holds more than 1,200 adult men.

The prison was last year singled out by former justice secretary Michael Gove as "the most dramatic example of failure" within the estate.

Inmate Jamal Mahmoud, 21, died after being allegedly stabbed at the jail in an attack on October 18, which left two others injured.

(Image: Glyn Baker/Geograph)

The killing of the young father prompted calls for an inquiry into the state of prisons in England and Wales, with his family accusing the jail of "neglecting him".

Cuts to staff and resources by the Government meant the "tragedy" was "no massive surprise", the Prison Governors Association (PGA) said.

The latest development emerged after a major disturbance at another prison, HMP Bedford, on Sunday, where prisoners rioted for six hours.

Hundreds of inmates allegedly went on a rampage with knives ended when guards stormed the jail with stun grenades, it's been claimed.

Around 200 inmates at HMP Bedford allegedly ransacked guards' offices, set small fires and stole medical supplies at Bedford jail in a row over 'poor conditions'.

Officials said the situation at the Category B men's prison in Bedfordshire was brought under control at about 11.30pm with the help of police, the fire service and paramedics, in an operation that lasted more than six hours.