A GWENT MP said an assessment that led to a murderer who absconded on Monday being put in an open prison in Usk was clearly wrong.

Brian Grady, 26, was sentenced to at least 11 years in prison at Bristol Crown Court after being contacted of murder and robbery.

But Monmouth MP David Davies has contacted Gwent Police to seek assurances they will treat his recapture as a priority.

The MP said: “He would have been within a year or less of release and it is normal practise that prisoners coming to the end of a sentence are moved to an open prison.

“However they should first be fully assessed and clearly in this case the assessment was wrong.”

He added that he has raised the issue in person with the Home Secretary Theresa May, who pointed out that the current government were not responsible for the sentence he recieved, which in his opinion was “extraordinarily lenient” given the nature of the crime.

Yesterday Gwent Police said two people, a 37-year-old man and a 34-year-old man, both from the Bristol area, are being held as the search continues.

Both are in custody helping police with their enquiries.

Gwent Police said Grady had failed to return to HMP Prescoed, near Usk, on Monday.

He is described as white, 5ft 11ins, of medium build, with short light brown hair and blue eyes.

He has a scar under his left eye and speaks with a Bristolian accent.

It is believed Grady could be in Bristol where he has contacts.

Members of the public are advised not to approach him but to call police if they have any information regarding his whereabouts on 101.