A PRISONER who was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for selling ecstasy and heroin to teenagers was on the run last night.

Kelly Garnett, 36, formally of Mather Drive, Comberbach, fled Sudbury Prison in Derbyshire on Monday evening.

A spokesman for Sudbury Prison told the Chronicle last night: 'Kelly Garnett has absconded. It is an open prison and he simply walked out.'

Sudbury is Britain's largest open prison, but has recently attracted criticism for its poor security record. Home Office statistics show 350 inmates have absconded in the last five years.

Garnett was at Risley Prison until January when he was moved to Sud-bury. He was jailed in December 2000 for supplying ecstasy, heroin and cocaine to teenagers in Comberbach.

One of his victims was his neighbour Melanie Carless, who hanged herself three days after her 17th birthday. It is believed she spiralled into depression after taking drugs sold to her by Garnett.

Garnett targeted teenagers at the playing fields in the village as a 'soft option'. He also dealt drugs to his neighbours in Mather Drive.

At the time of his trial, Chester Crown Court heard Garnett threatened physical violence to the teenagers and even suggested some girls 'went on the game' to make some more money to buy his drugs.

Garnett did not give evidence in the case but claimed the allegations were a pack of lies. The jury took two-and-a-half hours to find him guilty of charges which included supplying up to 2,000 tablets of ecstasy.

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Richards told Garnett: 'You were a professional dealing with amateurs.'

The Chronicle understands Garnett still has family and friends in Mid Cheshire.

A police spokesman said last night: 'There are ongoing enquires to locate him.'

Since April 2003, more than 50 prisoners have walked out of Sudbury, which was originally built as a hospital for the US Air Force for the D-Day landings.