KEY POINTS:
Police are hunting for a prisoner who ran off when staff opened the rear door of prisoner escort vehicle travelling between Nelson and Christchurch today.
Inspector Brian McGurk, area commander for Nelson Bays, said the prisoner escaped at Ure River, near Ward in Marlborough at 10.06 am.
Six other prisoners remained in the vehicle.
Michael Taui Wetere, 26, from Christchurch kicked his way through two locked doors.
When escort staff stopped the vehicle to investigate and opened the exterior door Wetere ran off.
Wetere is Maori, of slim build and is about 181cm tall. He is wearing blue jeans, a black baseball cap and a yellow top.
He was not considered dangerous but should not be approached by the public.
Police from Blenheim and Kaikoura have cordoned off the area and dog handlers have been called in to help with the search.
There have been sightings of Wetere and police dogs are tracking him.
- NZPA
