Cumbria's only prison is collapsing under the pressure of savage cuts and staff shortages according to an MP – as members of the community demanded answers about an information blackout over an escaped inmate.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed says the prison service is in “crisis” after a dangerous criminal escaped from HMP Haverigg and went on the run.

Meanwhile, the lack of information from police has been branded as unacceptable – after the force fell silent for eight hours while a major operation was launched.

Mr Reed said: “This weekend’s incident, involving an escapee from HMP Haverigg, highlights the fact that the government cannot ignore the crisis in our prisons any longer.

“On this government’s watch, we have seen prisons becoming dangerously overcrowded and understaffed, with rising levels of violence and drug abuse. I have today tabled a series of written parliamentary questions to ascertain the number of prison escapes in England and Cumbria since 2010, and the number of prison officers employed in England and Cumbria in the same period.

“I have also asked what steps the government are taking to ensure that they support police and prison services to inform and reassure the public in a timely manner during an escape incident.”

The escape drama unfolded in Haverigg on Friday afternoon as residents heard rumours of an escapee. As police helicopters and riot police scoured the area, residents were left without any concrete information for hours as details of the incident failed to be communicated to the wider public.

Millom town councillor for Haverigg, Janice Brown, said: “I don’t think it’s acceptable at all. We know people who work up at the prison who got messages out to tell us to lock our doors and I kept looking for messages from the police but there wasn’t anything.

“It’s not acceptable – not when there’s someone dangerous on the loose.”

The prisoner, Dean Walker, was eventually discovered in Manchester on Sunday afternoon.

A spokesman for Cumbria Constabulary said: “Keeping the public safe is paramount to policing operations and informing the public of any potential danger is a key aspect in the way we operate.

“We understand the importance of factual and timely information being issued to the public and we worked closely with the prison service to provide this.”