Hunt for Tube maniac

A major police hunt is under way today for an escaped mental patient detained for pushing two women onto Tube tracks.

He was let out of Chase Farm hospital two days ago in an extraordinary blunder seven months after being detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act for attempting to kill two Tube passengers.

An inquiry has now been launched into why bosses at the Enfield hospital overruled the advice of his psychiatrist and gave him "ground leave", allowing him to walk out unescorted.

Astonishingly, it is the second time he has gone missing from a mental hospital. His attempt to kill two women at Euston Tube station came after he was mistakenly given unescorted day release from St Luke's hospital in Hackney.

Studders, described as white and of medium build with shoulder-length fair hair, has been in and out of hospital since being diagnosed in 1995.

Enfield Mental Health Trust director Oliver Treacy said: "An inquiry is under way, as is normal in these circumstances, and we will be examining issues around him being granted ground leave. The decision to allow him out on agreed planned leave would have been taken at a senior level based on risk assessments and discussions that morning. People do recover."

He added: "We are hoping he will come back of his own accord but we are looking for him and cooperating with police. We are not being complacent."

During his trial, his psychiatrist admitted Studders, who had a persecution complex and had been threatening to kill people, should never have been let out of St Luke's.

Describing him as "extremely unwell", Dr Katherine Bartlett told how he was convinced the police and people from his home town were out to get him. But since his admission to Chase Farm in April, health chiefs decided his behaviour had improved enough to allow him out on short periods of "planned leave".

At his trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard how he smiled as he attacked commuters Christine Goldsmith and Tamlyn Monson within minutes of each other on a northbound Northern Line platform in May last year.

After pushing Ms Goldsmith onto the tracks, he told a member of the public who intervened: "I am trying to kill her." He then attempted to push Ms Monson, who managed to avoid falling onto the tracks.

Studders was eventually overpowered by other passengers, the court heard. He was kept in custody when he said he would reoffend if he was released.

When he disappeared, he was wearing blue jeans, a blue T-shirt, a blue cardigan with red and white striped sleeves and white trainers.

Anyone with any information is asked to call 0208 345 4767.