A reward of £1,000 is being offered to anyone who can help trace a prolific burglar who has been on the run for eight months, since he security guards the slip whilst on escorted leave from the John Howard ‘secure centre’.

Police are hunting Peter Kerrigan, 28, who robbed the equivalent of a home a day for four years.

He was jailed for eight years after admitting more than 1,400 break-ins when he was just 17, leading police to dub him one of ‘Britain’s most prolific burglars’.

Kerrigan, an Irish Traveller, was in the Narroway on Sunday March 29 when he absconded.

He was sentenced to six years at a secure unit in January 2010 after admitting a series of distraction burglaries across Hackney and London, during which he targeted vulnerable pensioners dressed as a police officer.

He commenced the spree just weeks after being released early from an eight year prison sentence imposed in 2005 when he was just 18, just for a string of previous burglary offences.

DI Paul Ridley, from Hackney CID, who is leading the investigation, said: “Kerrigan was jailed for committing crimes against the vulnerable and elderly and they still have to live with his actions. He needs to be returned to custody to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.

“I am convinced somebody knows of his whereabouts and would urge them to contact me or a member of my team.

“I can personally assure you that all information received will be treated in the strictest of confidence.”

The John Howard Centre bowed to pressure and agreed to start tagging detainees on escorted leave this summer, after a strong of high profile offenders including Kerrigan went missing earlier this year.

Anyone who sees Peter Kerrigan, or knows of his whereabouts, is advised to call 999 immediately.

Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through the Anonymous Online Form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. The charity will provide a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to the arrest of Kerrigan.