Dewhurst has been spotted in England since he absconded

Lee Dewhurst, 35, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, did not return to the jail on 11 July, but Gwent Police confirmed that he was missing only this weekend.

Dewhurst, who was jailed for murder in 1992 is the prison's seventh inmate to abscond in the past three months.

Local councillors said they should have been told earlier.

Police have warned the public not to approach Dewhurst, who was jailed for life at Liverpool Crown Court in 1992.

It just beggars belief. I'm just quite astonished, really, in this current climate that prison officials have decided not to tell us Tony Kear, Usk Town Councillor

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said that an investigation was launched as soon as the prisoner disappeared in July to find him, but at that time it was not thought necessary to inform the public.

However, Dewhurst is since believed to have been involved in incidents in Halifax or Huddersfield and it had now been decided to put out an appeal to help find him.

Gwent Police officers are working with West Yorkshire Police to trace him.

Det Insp Gary Stephenson from Calderdale CID, West Yorkshire Police, said: "West Yorkshire Police believe he may have been in the Halifax or Huddersfield area during July and visited events attended by the gay community and we would urge people not to approach him.

'Raised concerns'

Dewhurst is described as white, 5ft 8in (1.72m) tall and of stocky build. He is balding, with dark, cropped hair, and sometimes has a goatee beard.

News of his disappearance follows a number of other abscondings from Prescoed over the summer - including those of two child rapists who had just been transferred there.

These have raised concerns among local people and politicians who are arguing for a review of the policy of housing sex offenders there.

Local councillors who have set up a committee to monitor the prison said they could not believe they were not told of Dewhurst's abscond earlier.

Usk town councillor Tony Kear said there had been an agreement with the area's prison manager that they would be told of any abscond.

The prison has had a series of abscondings over the summer

He said: "It just beggars belief. I'm just quite astonished, really, in this current climate that prison officials have decided not to tell us."

In July, paedophiles John Elms and Martin Aspinall were on the run for two days.

A day after Elms and Aspinall absconded, Marc Andrew Barnett, 26, who was serving a sentence for burglary with intent to steal, also left the open prison.

He was found the following day.

'Causing problems'

Later, a 44-year-old man who was convicted of grievous bodily harm failed to return from home leave. He was arrested the following week.

Also in August, the Home Office said a 33-year-old inmate - sentenced for dishonesty and driving offences - had failed to return while out on licence.

Following news of this latest escaped prisoner David Davies, AM and MP for Monmouth, criticised the Home Office saying it just did not want to know about the problems at the prison.

He said: "The Home Office minister last year Paul Goggins said that the policy wouldn't cause problems. He promised to meet with us again in a year's time. He's no longer the prisons minister but the policy is causing problems."

The Home Office confirmed the prisoner was missing, but said it was now a matter for the police.