POLICE were last night criticised for an 11-hour delay in informing the public about three violent criminals who escaped from a secure hospital in Suffolk.

One of the trio – 21-year-old Luke Sparks – was still at large last night after breaking out of a secure hospital in Palgrave, near Diss.

He escaped at 1am yesterday along with two others – 22-year-old Ross Beeby and Jason Williams, 21. They forced their way out of the secure facility in Lion Road, leaving a male nurse with a minor head injury.

All three were being held at the unit after being sentenced for committing “serious assaults”, according to a police spokeswoman.

But police have come in for criticism after waiting 11 hours to warn the public of the potential danger and appeal for help in spotting the violent patients.

Central Suffolk MP Dr Dan Poulter, whose constituency includes the Palgrave hospital, said: “I think the police have been rather lax in their management of a situation which could potentially have become violent and unpleasant.

“Most people with mental health problems are not violent at all, but in this case, when we know there is a history of violence, they should have alerted the local community much more quickly.

“There are a lot of young families living in the Palgrave area, and it’s not that far from some major towns like Eye and Diss, where people would be out and about, particularly with such good weather. There’s obviously a serious concern about what these people would do if they came into contact with a member of the public.

“We would expect the police to be much more proactive in that situation to look after public safety.”

Beeby and Williams were detained by police after an off-duty staff member from the hospital, St John’s House, spotted them cycling down the A140 towards Diss in an apparent attempt to return to the hospital.

Police have appealed for anyone who sees Sparks to call them on 999 and not approach him. He is white with short black hair, average size and of muscular build, wearing a grey hooded top, grey shorts and black, grey and white Nike trainers.

Terry Hunt, EADT editor, said: “It is totally unacceptable for there to be an 11-hour delay in warning the public about these three men with violent histories being out and about in the community.

“Surely Suffolk police had a responsibility to issue a warning without delay, so people in the community were aware that these men should not be approached. The fact that two of them were recaptured quite quickly is beside the point.

“This is certainly not the first time recently that Suffolk police have been slow in releasing details of crimes or other incidents. We have held a series of meetings with senior officers to express our concerns, so it is deeply disappointing to see it is still happening.’’

Police carried out searches using specially-trained dogs and the police helicopter, and informed taxi companies and public transport services.

A force spokeswoman said: “The media were informed once all details, descriptions of the men and the clothing they were wearing had been confirmed so the correct, factual information was issued.”