A BRUTAL rapist who was given three life sentences after attacking a woman near Exeter  has absconded from prison.

Described as “highly dangerous”, Edward “Eddie” Braime is  believed to have headed to  Devon after going on the run.

His last known address before  being convicted in 1998 was  Polsloe Road in Exeter.

Police are appealing for the  public’s help to find Braime —  but are warning people not to  approach him but to call 999  immediately.

Braime escaped from North  Sea Camp open prison, near Boston, Lincolnshire, on Friday,  between 2.30am and 6am, after  arriving there the day before.

The 39-year-old was handed  three life sentences for a brutal  attack on a woman in 1998 in  which he beat her round the  head with a baseball bat so  severely that she required  plastic surgery.

The victim was then dragged  into a field at Aylesbeare, near  Exeter, and raped twice.

Braime, who grew up in Okehampton, had 134 previous convictions for a variety of offences  and was described as “a highly  dangerous man” by Judge Graham Cottle during sentencing.

Judge Cottle described the  case at the time as “chilling”  and told Braime during sentence: “You are a highly dangerous man who will continue  to present a very real threat to  women for a considerable time  to come.”

Detective Superintendent  John Clements, head of public  protection for Devon and Cornwall police, said: “We’ve got no  indication that he’d make his  way to anywhere other than  Devon.  Since Friday we’ve had  no sighting and we’re keen to  enlist the support of the public  — to use their eyes and ears —  so we can catch this man and get  him back to prison.

“He shouldn’t be approached,  but I’d like to ask the public to  look at his picture and if you  believe you’ve seen this man  call 999 to let us know.”

Lincolnshire police said  Braime was one of three men to  escape and warned members of  the public not to approach them,  particularly Braime.

He is described as a white  man, about 5ft 10in tall, of average build and with balding  ginger hair. He has green eyes  and speaks in a soft tone  voice.  An unconfirmed report believes  he was last seen wearing military-style boots, black jeans, a  sleeveless jacket and a black  coat with an orange lining.

HMP North Sea Camp is a  category D open prison. It is  believed that Braime had been  transferred there the day before he absconded.