A prisoner has escaped from Tongariro Rangipo Prison in a stolen Department of Corrections vehicle.
Police said Jamie Paamu Hughes, 29, escaped from the central North Island prison around 11.15am in a white 2005 Toyota Landcruiser light bus.
The vehicle, registration CPU985, has a large grey speaker mounted to the roof.
Hughes is a Maori male, around 160cm tall, with a thin build.
Police said he should not be approached and anyone who sees him or the van should call police immediately.
