A convict who escaped from police after asking to go to the toilet at an Oxford hospital was recaptured last night after 10 hours on the run.

Shaun Hewitt - jailed for robbery and aggravated vehicle taking - was supposed to be under police guard after being taken to the infectious diseases ward at Churchill Hospital in Headington because he was sick.

But after telling a police officer he needed to go to the toilet, he was left alone and broke through a window to freedom.

An initial two-hour manhunt by officers, police dogs and the force helicopter failed to find him - but he was finally caught at Oxford train station at about 8pm. Five police cars went into the station car park and officers put Hewitt into a police van.

Police spokesman Kate Smith said Hewitt had been spotted by a police patrol car close to the station.

She added: "They called in other units and he was arrested and taken into police custody."

Oxfordshire's police chief Shaun Morley admitted Hewitt should have been "more closely supervised".

Hewitt had been given a four-year sentence in 2003 after an altercation with a friend.

He took his car and then hurt an innocent passer-by. He was released in January on licence.

However, he did not stick to conditions - that he stay at a bail hostel - and police were ordered to pick him up to return him to prison to serve the rest of his sentence.

It is understood he was arrested at a girlfriend's home in Drayman's Walk in Abingdon on Tuesday night.

Chief Insp Phil Littlechild said: "It became clear to officers that he was unwell and he was taken to hospital, where he was watched by an officer through the night.

"In the morning he asked to go to the toilet. During the short space of time he was alone in the toilet, Hewitt managed to escape through the window."

The Pc realised he was gone within a couple of minutes and a search was launched of the hospital, neighbouring streets and Southfield Golf Club.

John Jordan, 58, a builder working at a house in Roosevelt Drive, the main entry road for the Churchill Hospital, said: "It was about 9.45am when I saw patrol cars whizzing up and down Roosevelt Drive and I wondered what was going on."

Mr Littlechild said Hewitt was regarded as a low-risk, despite the violent robbery.

The Oxford Mail understands Hewitt was at the John Warin ward for infectious diseases at the Churchill. Police would not say what his illness was.

Last night, Mr Morley said: "There are clearly lessons to be learned from this. He should have been more closely supervised, and we hold our hands up to this."

Neighbours in Drayman's Walk in Abingdon said he often stayed there with his girlfriend, who he started seeing since leaving prison.

One said yesterday: "I've spoken to him a couple of times and he seems a nice guy, but you never know.

"I've heard some bad things about him. "He was here last weekend, but I haven't seen him since then."

"There were cops in the garden this morning when I looked out of the window."