THE release of an arsonist just days into his sentence because of a prison blunder has been condemned as another Home Office failure putting the "public at risk".

Christopher Pocock was serving his time at Camp Hill prison on the Isle of Wight after being jailed for 320 days on March 14 at Newport Crown Court for arson.

But on Wednesday, just 29 days later, the 52-year-old from Newport was freed because of a Prison Service error.

A police manhunt, led by Hampshire Constabulary, is now under way to return Pocock to his cell.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said that it was a "rare error" and an internal investigation has been launched into how he was allowed to walk free.

The Tory shadow home secretary, David Davis, said the release of Pocock was the latest error by the Home Office which was putting the general public in danger.

The department has been dogged by a series of blunders, including revelations that 1,000 foreign criminals were released between 1999 and March 2006 without being considered for deportation, and the disclosure that 27,500 files on Britons convicted of crimes overseas had not been properly processed by Home Office civil servants.

Mr Davis said: "This admission provides illustration of another failure at the Home Office which could put the public at risk.

"Instead of passing the buck to a newly created department, (Home Secretary) John Reid needs to take responsibility for these problems which continue to jeopardise public safety."