Police name prisoner who escaped during work excursion

Police have named the prisoner who escaped from a van in Adelaide's north-east today.

Officers were called to a On The Run petrol station on Gorge Road at Newton after low-security prisoner Shane Gauci, 41, became "unaccounted for" around 8.30am.

The van, carrying pre-release inmates participating in an external work program, stopped at the station before the prisoner wandered off.

"After consultation with the Department of Corrections, South Australia Police can now state that they are currently searching for low security prisoner Shane Gauci," a police statement said tonight.

CCTV showed the moment Gauci shed his hi-vis vest and walked away.

Luke Heaven told 9NEWS officers pulled him over out the front of his house in nearby Campbelltown.

"I just walked out the front to have a smoke this morning, and I got pulled over by the police, and they just wanted to do an ID check," he said.

"It's pretty scary to be honest, if he was wearing hi-vis, he just looks like anyone," another nearby worker told 9NEWS.

It is not clear why the van stopped at the service station.

Gauci is described as Caucasian, 180cm tall, weighing around 95kg and is clean shaven with brown hair.

He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, khaki pants and black boots.

Anyone who sees him is urged not to approach but contact the police assistance line on 131 444.