Police are appealing for the public's help to find two men who have absconded from a prison on the Gloucestershire border.

John-Paul Knowlson and Stuart O'Neill left HMP Leyhill prison near Wotton-under-Edge at about 2am this morning (Wednesday 29 August) after forcing a door.

Knowlson, aged 30, is from Bristol and was transferred to HMP Leyhill in September last year. He was convicted of rape in 2011 at Bristol Crown Court.

He is a white man, 5ft 5ins tall of medium build with brown eyes. He speaks with a West Country accent. He has a cross tattoo on his right arm. When last seen he was wearing a red tracksuit top.

O'Neill, aged 29, is from the Lancashire area - with strong links to Manchester.

He was convicted of rape, burglary and theft offences in 2009 at Manchester Crown Court and was transferred to HMP Leyhill in October last year.

He is a white man, 6ft 1ins tall of medium build, blue eyes and has a beard. He speaks with a Mancunian accent and has a tattoo with the name O'Neill on the base of his neck.

Both men were serving indeterminate sentences for their offences.

If anyone sees O'Neill or Knowlson or knows of their whereabouts, we'd ask you not to approach them but to call us immediately on 999, providing the call handler with the reference 5218193274