A convicted armed robber who spent 13 months on the run handed himself in at Bury Police Station.

Michael Ossai walked out of an open prison in Derbyshire in January 2014, causing police to issue an appeal for his whereabouts, describing him as "extremely dangerous" and not to be approached.

On February 16 this year, the 45-year-old, who had been serving a 16-year prison sentence, walked into Bury Police Station and gave himself up.

Two days later, Ossai, of no fixed address, was back in court and magistrates sent him back to jail — adding four months to his sentence after he pleaded guilty to absconding from prison.

Ossai, who is originally from Heywood, was part of a roving gang of armed robbers who terrorised people during a series of brutal crimes, stealing a total of £160,000, before being caught near Heaton Park in 2005.

He was one of five men jailed for a total of 59 years at Manchester Crown Court in July 2005 at Manchester Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

They carried out eight robberies in the seven months up to January 2005 in four areas of the country and armed themselves with a sword, machete and axe.

At the time, police said that in some of the robberies, bank and business staff were left too traumatised to go back to work.

Ossai was caught on CCTV during one of the raids at a bank in Manchester city centre.

Greater Manchester Police Organised Crime Unit launched a special operation to track down the gang and they arrested Ossai as he was hiding in the toilets of the Premier Inn hotel in Middleton Road near Heaton Park.

Ossai served the first part of his sentence in a maximum security prison before being transferred to Sudbury Open Prison.

He was allowed temporary leave on January 4, 2014, but did not return.

The Ministry of Justice launched an investigation into how 10 prisoners, including Ossai and a convicted killer and an arsonist, could be allowed to go on the run.

At the time, Labour's shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said: "The public will want reassuring that their safety has not been put at risk."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman this week said: "Absconds have reached record lows under this Government — falling by more than 80 per cent in the last 10 years — but we have not been complacent and have made major changes to tighten the system.

"Following a comprehensive review we have tightened the eligibility for open prisons and are taking a range of steps to help lower the numbers further.

"Open prisons and temporary licence are important tools in rehabilitating long-term offenders but they will not be used at the expense of public safety."