A prisoner due to be deported from Britain to Ghana has absconded from custody for the second time in a week.

Daniel Boakye, 21, escaped police officers guarding him at a hospital in Lewisham, south-east London, on Sunday, only five days after fleeing from prison officers at a hospital in Isleworth, west London.

The convicted knifepoint robber and drill rapper, who was due to be deported to Ghana, remains at large.

Boakye, from Enfield, north London, was receiving treatment under guard at University Hospital Lewisham shortly after 3pm on Sunday when he fled police.

Officers pursued him through the corridors, but he evaded them and has not been found since.

On Tuesday last week, he was being treated at West Middlesex University Hospital when he escaped from the prison officers guarding him.

He was arrested the following day at an address in Thamesmead, south-east London.

Police arrested two women, aged 20 and 51, a girl, 17, and a man, 30, on suspicion of assisting an offender. They were later released on bail.

Boakye was jailed for six years and five months in July 2023 for being part of a gang that stole mobile phones at knife-point before using them to siphon £115,000 of cryptocurrency found on them.

Stolen bank information

Boakye, Justin Popoola, Nathan Mohalland and a 17-year-old who has not been named carried out the robberies between June 2021 and January 2022, forcing victims to hand over their passcodes by threatening them with knives.

Detectives tracked them down after they ordered takeaways to their home addresses using stolen bank information.

The Metropolitan Police is now looking into the circumstances of his second escape.

A force spokesman said: “We are searching for a 21-year-old man who absconded from Lewisham hospital at around 15:05hrs on Sunday, 15 February.

“Daniel Boakye was in police custody at the hospital receiving medical treatment when he fled. Officers gave chase but could not detain Boakye before he left the building.

“He is 21 years old, black, of medium height and slim build. He was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a dark Nike jacket when he absconded.

“Anyone who has any information about Boakye’s whereabouts is asked to contact police on 999 quoting CAD4005/15FEB. You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to remain anonymous.

“We are currently reviewing this incident to fully understand the events which unfolded.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity.

“We will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws. We are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system so we can scale up deportations.”