UPDATED 4.20PM: Police are warning associates of a man who escaped from Hamilton Court cells this morning that helping him avoid police is an offence.

Police are looking for Michael Campbell, who's been on the run since around 10.15 am.

Senior Sergeant Rupert Friend says it's not clear how he got away.

"In short, he's managed to get himself to an insecure area and out of doors," he says.

"How that has come to be is what we will be investigating."

Friend says police will be investigation how the prisoner managed to escape.

"There is a charge for helping an escaped prisoner, so if somebody is actively tying to hide a person who has escaped from custody then there is a reasonable chance they may face charges themselves."