The publication of photographs of two murderers who escaped from Sudbury prison followed two months of pressure from the Derby Evening Telegraph.

The newspaper had been contacting Derbyshire Constabulary on an almost daily basis and had also contacted Greater Manchester Police after discovering in early November that killers Jason Croft and Michael Nixon had escaped.

And editor Steve Hall said that although he was "delighted" that the photographs had finally been released by Greater Manchester Police, he was outraged that it had taken two months.

He said: "The public deserved to know what they look like, to be alerted that they had escaped and to be able to offer their assistance to the police.

"The whole thing is a bit of a farce."

The Evening Telegraph reported on November 13 that the two men had escaped from the open prison - two weeks after they had fled - and immediately asked for their photographs.

Since then it has been lobbying police, having been told by Derbyshire Constabulary that it wouldn't serve any policing purpose to release the photographs - as they believed that the men were no longer in the county and were perhaps in Manchester, where they committed their crimes.

Steve said: "To me it didn't make sense as they have no firm knowledge that they aren't in Derbyshire.

"Manchester police said it was a Derbyshire inquiry but Derbyshire police said they handed control over to the Greater Manchester force in December. But neither force would release them.

"It was ironic that when Greater Manchester Police did release the pictures they also put out an appeal for witnesses - something we had been trying to help them do for months."

As part of its fight, the Evening Telegraph published a daily panel counting the number of days since the two men had escaped and that photographs of them were kept under wraps.

It also submitted a Freedom of Information request asking Derbyshire police for the names and photographs of all prisoners who had absconded from Sudbury prison during October and November.

After initially being turned down, the paper received the names of 13 prisoners - including Croft and Nixon - but were told they would not receive their photographs.

The Evening Telegraph was supported by West Derbyshire MP Patrick McLoughlin and had sought interviews with the Home Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary on the matter.