The Australian police have begun the search for ‘Home and Away’ star Orpheus Pledger after he failed to appear in court over assault charges.

The manhunt was launched on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old actor had been arrested on March 25 after allegedly assaulting a woman but was granted bail on Monday by the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a hospital assessment after his lawyer, Jasper MacCuspie, had contended that if he remained in detention, his mental health would be in jeopardy.

The court had also ordered Mr Pledger to return to court on Tuesday for a scheduled bail hearing for his assault charges.

Following the court order, the police had escorted Mr Pledger to Royal Melbourne Hospital for a mental assessment.

However, the TV star failed to appear before the court on Tuesday and was said to have escaped from the hospital after he allegedly waited around to be seen before leaving the hospital.

“I’ll never make an order like that again,” said Magistrate Justin Foster, expressing his dissatisfaction at having “bent over backwards” to grant the order so Mr Pledger could undergo mental health care, according to Sky News Australia.

Due to Mr Pledger’s escape, the court issued a warrant for his arrest, and police began searching for the TV star on Wednesday.

While the search for Mr Pledger is underway, the police also launched a public appeal for residents’ assistance in the search.

In the public notice, the police described the actor as “approximately 170cm [5ft 7in] tall with brown hair and tanned complexion.”

The actor frequently visited the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Northcote “and [its] surrounding areas,” the statement added.

The current image of Mr Pledger was also attached to the notice in the hope that someone may be able to find his location.