AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a prisoner transport van was deliberately set alight on the M3 and a prisoner escaped.

Both security men in the van were assaulted as they tackled the fire, started in the back of their Group 4 van, after pulling onto the southbound hard shoulder of the M3 at junction 13 near Eastleigh just before 3pm yesterday.

Group 4 last night confirmed the breakout and said that although both of their security men were assaulted neither was seriously injured.

After the driver stopped the vehicle another prisoner ran over the embankment towards the Woodside Avenue retail complex.

Only a few minutes later the man was found and arrested on suspicion of trying to steal a Ford Fiesta car.

It is believed that the Group 4 van had stopped at Winchester Crown Court and was on its way to Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight.

The prisoner who is suspected of having started the fire and the prisoner who is alleged to have escaped have been taken to Eastleigh police station.

Police have not named either of these prisoners.

The remaining four prisoners were taken to Southampton Central police station.

One lane of the southbound M3 was closed near Eastleigh while police collected the van.

A spokesperson for Group 4, told the Daily Echo: "Our first duty of care is to life so if there is a fire we have to do something about it. It is just one of those things.

This incident comes only a week after convicted murderer William Todd became the first prisoner to escape from Winchester jail in more than 30 years.

He was recaptured by police over the weekend near Reading in Berkshire.