A violent burglar has been tracked down by police after a four-day manhunt.

Lee Pullen, originally from Blackbird Leys, Oxford, disappeared from an open prison on Sunday. The 24-year-old was in the middle of a three-year sentence for burglary, theft and assault when he went missing.

He was arrested in Valentia Road, Headington, Oxford, by police and was on Thursday night back in custody. He was expected to be sent back to prison.

Residents were surprised to hear that an escaped convict had been found on their doorsteps. It is believed he was recaptured in a nearby play area.

A mother-of-two, who asked not to be named, said: "I saw the police van pull up and they went into the park. A couple of minutes later, they came back with somebody.

"I had no idea what was going on. I'm a bit bemused. We have seen the police around here a bit more lately - but never for an escaped prisoner."

Student James Scott, 21, who lives opposite the play area, added: "It's very weird. As long as he hasn't been poking about in my back garden or anything, then I feel all right."

Teenagers were playing football in the play area only hours after the discovery, unaware of the arrest.

Pullen was last seen on Sunday morning at Spring Hill Open Prison, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where he was serving his sentence. According to court records, Pullen, of Briar Way, Blackbird Leys, was jailed in February, 2006 at Oxford Crown Court after admitting assault causing actual bodily harm, burglary, taking a motorcycle without consent and failure to surrender.

The court heard Pullen assaulted William Grihault in Barton in February, 2005, causing him actual bodily harm.

Mr Grihault was treated in hospital for cuts and bruises. Pullen was also sentenced for burglary after taking £600 from a fruit machine at Littlemore Royal British Legion in Lakefield Road in October last year, stealing a motorbike, and failing to surrender to police after being arrested for the earlier assault.

He was not eligible for parole until next January.

Pullen is thought to be the third prisoner from Oxford to have run away from Spring Hill open prison in the past year.

The previous fugitives were returned to jail. Chief Supt Jim Trotman, of Oxford police, said: "Clearly there must be some lessons to learn for the prison service here, but as a fellow criminal justice professional, my aim is to get hold of Mr Pullen and put him back where he belongs."

Ministry of Justice spokesman Catriona Combe said open prisons could never guarantee that prisoners will not abscond, but insisted the number of escapees in relation to the prison population was at its lowest level for 10 years.

SPRING Hill started life as a family home, and was a wartime base for the secret services. It became the first open prison in the country in 1953.

Lee Pullen is not the first convict to walk out of Spring Hill open prison. According to the Prison Service, three prisoners have absconded from the jail since April this year.

Last year, 10 prisoners went missing. Liam Phipps, 28, was arrested wearing a pink dressing gown. He admitted attempting to escape lawful custody after walking out of Spring Hill last year.

He was captured in New Marston, Oxford, after a tip-off from an Oxford Mail reader.

In June last year, armed robber Andrew Ivison - originally from Oxford - went on the run from Spring Hill.

Following his escape, he was arrested in Headington after being spotted by an Oxford Mail reader.