Malcolm Millman
Malcolm Millman absconded during a day visit to a monastery in St Margarets, Great Gaddesden, near Hemel Hempstead TVP

A convicted rapist, who escaped from a mental health unit, has been caught by police in Blackpool. Malcolm Millman, 58, absconded from the medium security Chadwick Lodge facility on Saturday 24 October, during an unsupervised visit to a monastery in St Margarets, near Hemel Hempstead.

The centre where he was being treated, is 50 miles away in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. He was described as a dangerous sex offender with convictions including rape in 1996 and a record of attacking lone females.

Detectives believe Millman probably travelled from Hemel Hempstead to London on Saturday (24 October) by train and then caught a second train to Leeds. It is thought he was in the city between 6am and 8am on Sunday. He was sighted at Manchester Airport where he was captured on CCTV just before 1pm on Monday, Sky News reports.

On Tuesday evening, Millman was detained in Blackpool under the Mental Health Act, Thames Valley Police confirmed. Police said it had been a "complex" search operation and he is now being returned to secure accommodation.

The 58-year-old was working towards full release after being sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for rape.