'Houdini' escapes Mt Eden prison - again

Aaron Forden. Photo / supplied

A man with a history of escaping has broken free from Mt Eden Prison in Auckland this morning - the second time he has escaped the maximum security prison.

Two prisoners are said to have broken into a service way, allowing Aaron Forden to exit the prison early this morning.

Forden is known as 'Houdini' for his numerous disappearing acts, including a 2008 escape from Mt Eden Prison.

He is described as a European, 30 years old, 175cm tall and of medium build. He has short reddish coloured hair. He was wearing a grey coloured sweat shirt and pants.

In his 2008 Mt Eden escape Forden used ropes and bed linen to make a rope and climb from a tower at Auckland's Mt Eden prison over a wall to freedom.

The dangling rope was spotted by a staff member and a member of the public walking past the prison early in the morning.

He managed to avoid police for three days but was captured after a dramatic high-speed police pursuit in which Forden crashed his stolen car into stationary vehicles.

Earlier this year, Forden spent eight weeks on the run, after failing to appear in court for breaching bail conditions relating to a charge of wounding with intent.

While on the run he was accused of a two-month crime spree, and was charged with ramming patrol cars, burgling homes and stealing cars, after he was caught in a Kaitaia bar in May.

In June he went on the run again after escaping from Whangarei District Court before he was captured again in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby in October.

Police described Forden as being dangerous and should not be approached by members of the public.