Haroon Ahmed had been the subject of a manhunt since escaping HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire, Marchington, on Wednesday afternoon.

The 26-year-old told Sky News he travelled to Spain by road after he was escorted to the prison gate with a group of visitors who came to see him.

"Nothing was planned," said Ahmed, who was jailed for robbery.

"I just got up when the visit was ending. I said to a prison officer 'Is it okay for me to go home?' as a joke.

"I just walked off with all the visitors and went through the security procedures. A prison officer escorted me to the gate.

"I know what I did was wrong. I just took an opportunity but I don't want to be looking over my shoulder. I can't run and hide forever."

A statement from Staffordshire Police issued today said: "Haroon Ahmed, who is from the Derby area, was arrested this morning in the Nottingham area and has been taken into custody."

A spokeswoman said Ahmed's whereabouts while he was on the run will form part of the police investigation.

Michael Guy, Serco's director at HMP Dovegate, said at the weekend: "We are taking this extremely seriously and I have commissioned an urgent investigation into the circumstances of the escape.

"We are working closely with the police to identify what went wrong and to address any failings."