Police hunting the man who threw acid over television presenter Katie Piper have warned the public not to approach him – and say he may be out of the country.

Stefan Sylvestre, from Shepherd’s Bush, west London, has been recalled back to prison for breaching his licence conditions.

He had been given a life sentence in 2009 for the attack on Ms Piper and was told he must serve a minimum of six years before he would be eligible for parole.

He was released in 2018 when he was aged 30, a time Ms Piper has said was “really difficult” for her.

A Probation Service spokeswoman said on Sunday: “We are urgently working with the police to bring the offender back to prison where he’ll face longer behind bars.”

Detectives are appealing for information on his whereabouts but say inquiries so far show that he left the UK on 2 August. They have not said where he might have headed.

But the Metropolitan Police is working with partner agencies to trace him, adding that anyone who spots him should call 999 and that he “should not be approached”.

Ms Piper suffered horrific injuries in the acid attack that left her permanently scarred.

She was left fighting for her life after obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Sylvestre to throw the corrosive liquid in March 2008.

Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years for sexually assaulting Piper and telling Sylvestre to throw acid on her.

In court, Lynch and Sylvestre were told by Judge Nicholas Browne QC they were “the face of pure evil”.

Anyone with information on Sylvestre’s whereabouts should speak to police immediately, quoting reference CAD6239/23Sep.