DETECTIVES hunting for a convicted child killer who absconded from prison have issued a direct appeal for him to hand himself in.

West Mercia Police said officers had received information which raised concern about the state of mind of Alan Giles, who was jailed for life in 1997.

Confirming that Giles left HMP Hewell in Redditch, Worcestershire, on foot at about 11am on Monday, Chief Inspector Paul Judge urged the public to report any sightings of the 56-year-old immediately.

Mr Judge told a press conference in Redditch that inquiries to locate Giles were centred on the local area, including parts of south Warwickshire.

The officer said: "We are concerned as Giles has been missing since Monday morning and we are urging the public to help us find him.

"We are concerned about his state of mind as a result of information we have received after he went missing and I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to him to hand himself in directly to the nearest police station or contact us by phone so that we can resolve this matter.

"We are leaving no stone unturned in order to find Giles and we will provide whatever resources are required in order to achieve that.

"I would also urge anyone who is helping him or sheltering him to contact us without delay."

Giles, originally from the Oldbury area of the West Midlands, was given a 19-year tariff for the 1995 kidnap and murder of teenager Kevin Ricketts.

The 16-year-old victim's body was not found until 1998, after Giles asked to speak to detectives from West Midlands Police while serving his sentence.

Giles, who would have been eligible to apply for parole next year, is believed to have absconded from an "open" section of the prison.

Staff at the jail checked on Giles at 6am on Monday, when he was in his cell, but found he was missing at 11am.

No one else is thought to have been involved in helping the on-the-run killer, who may have used the public transport network to leave the area.

It is understood measures have been taken to ensure the safety of members of Kevin's family, who have been informed that Giles is at large.

Mr Judge added: "We can't underestimate the fact that Giles was convicted of murder and kidnap, however we have no specific information that gives us concern for any members of the public."

Giles, who has had recent contact with family in the West Midlands, is described as white, 5ft 9ins, and of proportionate build with short grey hair and blue eyes.

He has tattoos of an eagle on his back and a swallow, shark and flower on his left arm.

It is believed Giles is wearing a grey Rockport sweater, blue jeans and white Asics trainers.