One prisoner gave himself up, the other arrested outside Rome.

Two prisoners who escaped from Rome's Rebibbia jail on 14 February are back in custody after one gave himself up on the afternoon of 17 February and the other was caught by police later that night.

Both arrests were made in the Tivoli area north-east of Rome, ending a four-day manhunt that began after the prisoners sawed through window bars and scaled the prison walls using knotted sheets.

One of the defendants, Catalin Ciobanu, handed himself in to Tivoli police station after realising he had "done something stupid", according to his lawyer. Police discovered the other escapee, Mihai Florin Diaconescu, aboard a van in the Tivoli area. He was apprehended after a short chase by foot.

Prosecutors in Rome have launched an investigation into the break-out from the city jail.