Sex offender escapes prison 'on a surf board' then paddles his way to freedom

Norway's Bastoy prison is situated on an island and has no fences covering its borders. The man made his escape after midnight

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Cushy: Inmates at Bastoy prison are allowed to go cycling and use local beaches

A jailed sex offender escaped from an island prison - by making his getaway on a
surfboard, police said.
Norway's Bastoy low-security jail is often held up as key working example of the country's unique methods of treating prisoners humanely.
It is famous for not having any fences and allowing inmates to watch movies, go cycling and use local beaches.
But the cushy jail, which is situated on the remote Bastoy island, came a cropper when a crafty crook managed to get hold of a surfboard.
On Wednesday, at some point during the night, he crept past guards and sneaked into the sea.
The convict, in his 20s, took the flotation device and a plastic shovel, which he used as a makeshift paddle.
He sailed almost two miles until he reached the mainland and fled on foot.

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Police are searching for the escaped convict but are convinced he is not a danger to the public.
Prison chief Tom Eberhardt said: “It sounds spectacular when it happens this way.
"But if it hadn’t been a surfboard, it could have been something else.
"It’s not so hard to find a floating device of some sort on the island.”
Bastoy prison holds 115 inmates, whose crimes vary from murder and rape to robbery or drugs.
And lags can often be seen tending to the organic farm situated on the island or sunbathing freely on its beaches.
However, despite the drama, officials insist the jail is still a 'safe and secure' facility.