Police advance on prison work party escapee

Police say time is running out for a violent inmate who fled from a prison work party eight days ago.

Arai Hema had been in prison for the past 10 years for violent assaults but was classified as a minimum risk when he ran off from a work party at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo last week.

Police said yesterday they were making "steady progress" in their hunt for him, but also repeated their warning for the public not to approach him if he was seen but to call 111.