You’ve got your facts wrong, local paper told by prisoner on the run

Darrell Burbeary went missing from HMP Hatfield in Doncaster last month (South Yorkshire Police)

A burglar on the run from prison has contacted his local newspaper to point out a “mistake” made by police in an appeal for information on his whereabouts.

Darrell Burbeary, who was sentenced to 30 months for burglary last year, went missing from HMP Hatfield in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on 15 June.

After the 43-year-old fugitive absconded, The Star in Sheffield published an appeal by South Yorkshire Police saying officers believed Burbeary could be making his way to the Heeley area of Sheffield, where he was originally from.

However, affronted by this inaccuracy, Burbeary wrote to The Star to clarify that he did not hail from Heeley, but another area of Sheffield known as Manor estate.

In a letter to the paper, he noted: “You wrote a statement about me saying my home roots were Heeley.

“You couldn’t be further from the truth. My home roots are the Manor estate of Sheffield.”

Burbeary explained he could not supply his current address “for obvious reasons”, but invited staff to contact him by phone should they require any further information.

He initially included his phone number, but appeared to have had second thoughts, scribbling the digits out for fear of being traced.