Key Points
- Twenty-seven-year-old Bryan Thomas of Kirkby, Merseyside, has been sought by Lancashire Constabulary because he failed to report back to the HMP Kirkham prison after being given temporary leave.
- His presence became unlawfully at large on 21 August after having been given temporary leave to perform community service.
- Thomas was serving a 17-year-long sentence, with an additional four-year-long extended license period, for his involvement in a gang shooting incident in Salford.
- Additionally, he was sentenced to 11 years for his participation in the kidnap and torture of a man from Huyton.
- The 2018 shooting incident involved the house where Stephen Britton of the Salford gang lived; Joshua Jones was shot, and he was barely able to survive the incident.
- In the kidnap case, the man and his accomplices had impersonated themselves to be the police to raid the victim’s house and try to torture him for ransom.
- The police have indicated that Bryan Thomas has connections to Kirkby and Melling in Merseyside, along with Manchester, and they have warned people against approaching him.
- Lancashire Constabulary has indicated that several enquiries were made since August in order to return the man to lawful custody.
Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 29, 2026 — A 27-year-old man from Kirkby who was jailed for taking part in a gangland shooting and a kidnap-and-torture plot has failed to return to an open prison in Lancashire and is being sought by police. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Bryan Thomas was serving an extended 17-year prison sentence when he failed to return to HMP Kirkham after temporary release.
Lancashire Constabulary said Thomas was reported unlawfully at large on 21 August after not returning to the prison. He had been released on temporary licence to carry out unpaid work in the community.
Why Is Bryan Thomas Wanted By Police?
As reported by the Lancashire Post, police have warned members of the public not to approach Thomas. The force said he failed to return to HMP Kirkham after being temporarily released on 21 August to undertake unpaid work.
A Lancashire Constabulary spokesperson said: “We are asking for your help to find Bryan Thomas who is wanted for failing to return to HMP Kirkham following temporary release.” The force added that Thomas, 27, was reported unlawfully at large after failing to return to prison having been released on temporary licence to do unpaid work in the community.
The spokesperson continued: “Since then, numerous enquiries have been ongoing to find Thomas who comes from Kirkby, Merseyside. We are now asking for your help as part of those enquiries to return Thomas to lawful custody.”
As reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, police said Thomas has links to the Kirkby and Melling areas of Merseyside and to Manchester.
What Was Bryan Thomas Jailed For?
According to the Liverpool Echo, Thomas took part in a targeted shooting at the home of a Salford gang boss in May 2018. He travelled to Salford with older criminals Tony Kelly and Philip Manning to carry out the attack.
The Liverpool Echo further reported that the three men approached a house in Cloughfield Avenue, in the Ordsall area of Salford, and fired shots through a rear patio door. Manchester Crown Court heard that the weapon used was either a semi-automatic handgun or a sub-machine gun.
Joshua Jones, then 26, was struck during the shooting and was left fighting for his life with a bullet lodged in his back. The attack was directed at the family home of Salford gang figure Stephen Britton.
Thomas was 19 when he was jailed for 17 years, with a four-year extended licence, for the shooting.
What Happened In The Kidnap And Torture Case?
The Liverpool Echo reported that, while Thomas was on the run from police after the shooting, he took part in the kidnapping and torture of a man from Huyton. Thomas and associates posed as police officers in an attempt to extract a ransom.
According to the Liverpool Echo’s earlier court reporting, Thomas and his associates dressed as police officers, stopped cars and questioned people about where the kidnapping target lived. They then drove to his home, carried out what the report described as a search for “evidence”, and “arrested” the victim.
The report stated that the victim was subjected to a violent torture session in which he was scalded with boiling water, stabbed and had an eye gouged. The plot was described as an attempt to obtain a large sum of money from the victim.
Thomas received an 11-year sentence for his role in the kidnap, to be served at the same time as the 17-year sentence for the shooting.
What Have Police Said About The Search?
Lancashire Constabulary has confirmed that enquiries to locate Thomas have been ongoing since he was reported unlawfully at large in August. The force is asking for public assistance to return him to lawful custody.
As reported by the Lancashire Post, the police warning specifically told the public not to approach him. The Lancashire Telegraph likewise reported that Thomas remains wanted after failing to return to custody following temporary release.
No arrest has been reported in the available coverage, and police have not announced a new sighting or confirmed where Thomas may be. The force’s appeal remains focused on information from the public.
What Is HMP Kirkham?
HMP Kirkham is an open prison in Lancashire. In this case, Thomas had been permitted to leave temporarily under licence to carry out unpaid work in the community, but did not return to the establishment as required.
Temporary release is distinct from an unconditional release: a prisoner remains legally in custody and must comply with the conditions of the licence. Lancashire Constabulary has described Thomas as unlawfully at large because he failed to return.
Background Of The Development
The case dates back to May 2018, when Thomas, then aged 19, travelled from Merseyside to Salford with Tony Kelly and Philip Manning to take part in the shooting at a house linked to Stephen Britton. The Liverpool Echo reported that Joshua Jones was seriously injured after being hit by gunfire during the attack.
Weeks later, while police were seeking those responsible for the shooting, Thomas became involved in the separate Huyton kidnap plot. The Liverpool Echo reported that he and associates used police-style uniforms to stop vehicles, question people and locate the intended victim before taking him from his home.
Thomas was subsequently sentenced at Manchester Crown Court. He received 17 years with a four-year extended licence for the shooting and an 11-year concurrent term for the kidnap. The Liverpool Echo described his earlier background as involving scrambler-bike offending before his involvement in serious organised crime.
The current development is that, more than two months after he was reported unlawfully at large, Lancashire Constabulary has renewed its public appeal for help locating him.
Prediction: How This May Affect Merseyside Residents
For residents in Kirkby, Melling and surrounding Merseyside communities, the police appeal may lead to increased visibility of officers and community-facing requests for information. Lancashire Constabulary has identified Thomas’s links to Kirkby and Melling, as well as Manchester, and is asking the public to assist with locating him.
Residents may see renewed local reporting and social-media appeals, particularly if police believe Thomas could be using known links in those areas. The force has advised the public not to approach him, meaning anyone with information is expected to contact police rather than intervene directly.
For former victims, witnesses and people connected to the original cases, the renewed appeal may bring the 2018 events back into public attention. The available reporting does not state that any new offences have been alleged since Thomas failed to return to HMP Kirkham; the police appeal concerns his failure to return to lawful custody.
