Major police blunder as cops release wanted fugitive by accident

A “major failure” by police saw Scottish officers release a fugitive who was wanted in Wales, the Express can reveal.

Luke Bingle, 34, was due to appear at Llandudno Magistrates Court in North Wales on 30 January in connection with fraud and theft offences. When he didn’t show, local police launched a public appeal on social media and in the local press, stating that his last known location was in Scotland.

Bingle was apprehended by officers in the South Lanarkshire town of Motherwell nearly a month later. However, despite communication between forces in North Wales and Scotland, the fugitive was released the same day.

When asked by the Express to explain why it had let him leave, a Police Scotland spokesperson said it was “after no confirmation of arrangements to collect him was received.”

They added that “Mr Bingle remains outstanding, but we are in contact with him and are currently agreeing his return to North Wales.”

Welsh Conservative assembly representative Janet Finch-Saunders, said the police’s actions had caused “distress” to her constituents. 

“I understand that Police Scotland executed the arrest warrant and conveyed the individual to a custody suite where there was a request for him to be collected by North Wales Police,” she said.

“To my astonishment, it has been explained to me that North Wales Police have no mutual process or agreement in place for the transport of persons arrested on warrant in Scotland into Wales.

“It seems clear that there has been a major failure by North Wales Police and Police Scotland to cooperate. I look forward to a full explanation being provided, and measures being put in place to ensure that such failings are never repeated. The distress caused by this serious matter, including to one of my constituents, is completely unacceptable.”

clearly states that warrants hold the same validity across the United Kingdom regardless of the country in which they are issued. 

Ten days after being released by Police Scotland Luke Bingle handed himself in and is in now police custody. 

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