Sean Phipps, 51, has previously gone by the surnames Cawthray, Goldthorpe, and Perry. He was imprisoned after being found guilty of kidnapping and rape in 2002.
Phipps is described as white, about 6ft 2ins tall, and was wearing a black coat over a blue top, blue jeans, and Timberland footwear at the time of his release. He also sported a black Casio watch, blue glasses, and a vape pen.
The clothes he was wearing are shown in footage from the day he was released.
Sean Phipps travelled to Bristol city centre on Wednesday but failed to return to HMP Leyhill as required,” said Detective Inspector Dan Rowan.
We are currently keeping an open mind about where he is, but believe he may have travelled outside the force area. He is known to have connections in the Leicester and Leeds areas. “We’d like to ask anyone who sees Phipps to call 999 and quote reference number 5222130002.”
Anyone who knows where he may have gone is asked to call 101 and use the same reference number.