A VIOLENT prisoner who escaped from police custody has been on the run for five months.

Spencer Junior Wellington, 26, freed himself from his handcuffs while being transported to Hammersmith Police Station in September last year.

When the police van arrived at the station the suspected drug trafficker rushed past officers before vaulting the yard wall and disappearing.

But it has taken officers from the Met's Middle Market Drugs Project five months to admit they have lost the criminal.

Wellington, who has a number of aliases, was arrested as part of a pre-planned operation on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply on September 11, 2006.

But as he was transported to Hammersmith Police Station at about 7.20pm, he managed to slip one of his hands out of the cuffs he was wearing.

The muscular 5ft 7ins tall prisoner then burst out from the police van as officers opened the door.

Spokesman for the Met Kirsten Ross said: "He pushed past officers and vaulted the yard wall on to railway lines."

It is not known how Wellington managed to escape from the restraints, which should be clamped on tight enough to prevent hands coming loose.

Police said the incident was "extremely rare" and insisted officers would not be investigated for misconduct.

A police source told the Ealing Times: "It is just unfortunate. You read about them prisoners getting out of police stations but hardly ever something like this.

"Everybody's hands are different. It would be up to the officer involved to determine how tight to put them on."

Wellington, also known as Junior Thomas, Junior Spencer Wellington, Junior Tony Wellington and Sosa Spenser Wellington, is black, with cropped black shaven hair and brown eyes.

He has a pierced left ear, gold teeth in the front left-hand side of his mouth, a scar in the centre of his forehead and three small scars in the centre of his chest.

Members of the public are being warned not to approach him due to his violent nature.

Police have so far been unable to trace Wellington but it is thought he may be in West London.

DI Gary Townsend, leading the hunt, said: "Despite immediate search enquiries by my team to try and trace Spencer Wellington we have been unable to identify his whereabouts and are appealing for the public to assist us with any information they may have."

Anyone with information should contact police on 0870 785 7329, or call Crimestoppers anonymous 0800 555 111.