A MAN who police said was on the run was all the time living and working in East Lancashire - where he was supposed to be.

As the Lancashire Telegraph reported, Johnny Foley was yesterday put on a 'wanted' list.

But his family saw the story and telephoned to say he had been working as a painter and decorator for more than three months.

Police said they had launched an urgent hunt after Mr Foley, 24, and two other East Lancashire men had 'gone missing' after being released early from prison.

However Mr Foley was at his sister's Clayton-le-Moors home where he said he had been staying since his release from jail on licence.

Officers had said Mr Foley had been missing' since his tag was revoked in February after it had been removed.

But Mr Foley said the tag broke off when he fell from a ladder at work after he had set up his own business as a painter and decorator.

He said he immediately contacted G4S, the group which looks after the tagging system, and had a new one fitted.

A week later Mr Foley said that the tag was taken off and he was told he would be sent back to prison.

More than three months later, he remains free.

And now the period of his licence - following his early release from a two-year jail term for his part in "babysitting" a drugs stash in Accrington - has expired.

The leader of Hyndburn Council Peter Britcliffe branded the situation a "complete shambles" which had "let down Mr Foley who had tried to do his best".

The news came the day after Justice Minister Lord Falconer announced that 2,000 more prisoners were to be freed early on licence in a bid to ease overcrowding in jails.

Mr Foley, a former Mount Carmel High School pupil, was released from prison in January. As well as the tag, he was ordered to observe a curfew between 7pm and 7am.

Mr Foley, who has been living with his sister Donna Foley in Albert Street, Clayton-Le-Moors, said: "I'm not on the run and never have been.

"I've been at the address where the conditions of my licence told me to be.

"When the tag snapped off I was really worried about it so I phoned G4S straight away to tell them what had happened.

"I wasn't given a reason as to why the tag had been removed.

"They must not have believed that it snapped off.

"If I pulled it off why would I ring them straight away?

"It had been over three months and I'd not heard anything but I still wanted to do everything by the book because I didn't want to go back to prison.

"I've kept my appointments with my probation officer every week.

"I have really tried to turn my life around and am really busy at work.

"I've got a girlfriend but I'm afraid I'm now going to lose everything I've worked hard to get.

"I'm really depressed because I'm facing going back to prison when I haven't done anything wrong. If I go back to prison it will destroy my life."

Johnny's mum Carole, 47, a carer from Accrington, said: "Johnny was moving on with his life.

"It seems there has been a communication break-down but in the meantime they're messing with people's lives."

Coun Britcliffe said the system was in meltdown.

He said: "It's an utter disgrace that this has happened.

"Here's someone trying to do his best and the system completely lets him down.

"We can only hope that common sense will prevail in this matter.

"I also say congratulations to the Telegraph for highlighting the chaos the system is in."

Inspector John Clucas, of Lancashire police, said: "If the Home Office make a decision to recall a person then that information comes to us and our role is simply to arrest and return them to prison."

According to government policy, anyone who "breached" their licence - which includes a tag coming off - is automatically be returned to prison.

A spokesman for the Probation Service in Lancashire said: "We don't normally comment on individual cases.

"However we can confirm that Johnny Foley is known to us and he is complying with parts of his licence."