Bad Langensalza (dpa/th) - The police are looking for an escaped prisoner from the Gräfentonna prison (Gotha district). The man wears handcuffs in front of his body and may be trying to hide them, police said on Wednesday. The 31-year-old was last seen wearing jeans and a gray sweater. A police helicopter was also used in the search. His whereabouts were last assumed to be in Bad Langensalza (Unstrut-Hainich district).

A police spokesman said the prisoner managed to escape from an exit on Wednesday afternoon. The man, whose optical age is said to be 30 to 40 years, wanted to make an appointment in Bad Langensalza. The police initially did not want to say why the fugitive was in prison. According to the spokesman, however, it was not a capital crime such as murder or manslaughter.