8 refugees on run after breakout

Eight asylum seekers are on the run today after breaking out from a Heathrow detention centre, heaping more embarrassment on Home Secretary David Blunkett.

The men smashed an upstairs window in an accommodation block, lowered themselves to the ground using bed sheets tied together and scaled the 20ft perimeter fence at the Harmondsworth detention centre. Their disappearance was not noticed until there was a routine roll call an hour later.

The escape comes 72 hours after police foiled plans for a mass breakout from the centre. Detainees planned to set fire to rubbish bins placed at strategic points.

The incident follows the violent riot and fire which destroyed the £100 million Yarl's Wood detention centre last week - from which at least 12 asylum seekers are still on the run. Police have admitted they have little chance of recapturing the 12 because records were burnt in the deliberate fire.

Last night's breakout will heap more embarrassment on the Home Office, which is certain to face a barrage of questions about lax security.

The breakout from Harmondsworth - which houses 550 men, woman and children - happened at around 9pm. A police helicopter with heat detection equipment, together with more than 30 officers with dogs, scoured the area surrounding the centre.

The hunt is now being led by Scotland Yard detectives.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that eight male detainees have absconded." She said there had been no riot or violence and no staff had been injured.

Last autumn Harmondsworth, Britain's biggest detention centre, was refurbished as part of the Government's £140 million effort to provide secure accommodation for mostly illegal immigrants whose claims for asylum have been rejected.

While refugee support groups have claimed the immigrants are "treated like criminals", the facility near the airport includes a gym, a library, a children's playground, a Christian chapel and a Muslim prayer room. Immigrants, who can be held for several months prior to deportation, can take skills courses.