DETECTIVES hunting for a violent Bradford prisoner who absconded from an open jail believe he will return to his home city.

Ian Stirzaker, who is serving a seven-and-a-half years sentence for beating a vulnerable man unconscious, failed to return to HMP Hatfield in Doncaster on Sunday after being allowed out on day release.

Officers from South Yorkshire police are working closely with West Yorkshire colleagues and will be visiting people across Bradford who he knows, said a police spokesman.

She added: "We expect he has gone back to Bradford. He has no links to South Yorkshire apart from being in prison here. We will be visiting addresses of people who are known to him. His details are being circulated."

MP'S PROTEST AS VIOLENT BRADFORD CRIMINAL ABSCONDS FROM OPEN JAIL

The 35-year-old was jailed in July 2011 at Bradford Crown Court for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Darren Swan.

Stirzaker is white, 5ft 8ins, with brown hair. He was last seen wearing a white tee-shirt, black jogging bottoms and white trainers.

Anyone with information on Stirzaker's whereabouts has been urged to call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 990 of August 10, 2014.