A security firm is investigating how a prisoner escaped from a crown court before diving into a river.

Emergency services were scrambled to Maidstone Crown Court in Barker Road yesterday afternoon following reports of a man in the River Medway.

A 26-year-old man, named Stephen Fry, escaped from custody and entered the water.

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As his court hearing came to a close Fry is said to have jumped over the dock railings before leaping across desks.

A female police officer tried to stop him but he made off down the corridor and out of the building before plunging into the river.

“It was a normal, quiet day in court with a very long list before this happened,” said one court official. “He moved pretty quickly and crashed through the court’s double doors. It was a robust attempt to abscond.”

A police helicopter was scrambled but cancelled en route. A spokesman confirmed a man escaped from custody and fled the court.

Officers were also attempting to scramble a boat to retrieve the man from the river, but ended up using a safety ring.

Fry, from the London area, was pulled out of the water and detained on the river's edge. He has now been taken back to the court.

A spokesman for the security firm responsible for the prisoner, GEOAmey, said: “We can confirm that this afternoon a male prisoner absconded from Maidstone Crown Court.

"He was re-captured immediately. We have begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident”

Emmanuel Bridges, who was in the court at the time, said: "We were in the court for the hearing and then they told us no one could leave, they locked it down.

"We just heard a bang and apparently it was some guy running from the building. People were all frantic and running about.

Another eye-witness, Cain Bruce, said: "I was standing near the court. I just saw the guy run out from the court he headed toward the river I saw the guards and police chucking in rings after him.

"It was really chaotic people were running about everywhere."

Emergency services have now left the scene.

This is the second prisoner in a week who has escaped from custody.

On Tuesday Daniel McAvoy, also known as Daniel Murray, strolled out of Maidstone Magistrates' Court - despite being handcuffed to a GEOamey guard at the end of his hearing.

The 42-year-old, who should be serving a four and a half year sentence for burglary and fraud, is still missing.