Daniel Khalife – live: Suspect used bed sheets to strap himself to van in Wandsworth prison escape, court hears

Daniel Khalife used a material that may have been from “bed sheets” to strap himself to the underside of a van when he escaped from prison last week, a court has heard.

Khalife appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday after being captured and charged with escaping from prison. He was remanded in custody.

The suspected terrorist was arrested on a canal towpath in west London at 10.41am on Saturday after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer.

His detention brought a dramatic end to a 75-hour nationwide land and air manhunt after Khalife went missing from the prison on Wednesday.

Prior to his alleged escape, Khalife was on remand at HMP Wandsworth after being charged with terror offences in January.

The incident has highlighted inadequacies in the condition of the facility, with the chief inspector of prisons calling for it to be shut down.

Key Points

  • Terror suspect used ‘bed sheets’ to strap himself to van

  • Khalife arrives at Westminster Magistrates' Court

  • Daniel Abed Khalife charged by police after escaping Wandsworth prison

  • Inmate stabbed at Wandsworth jail days after Daniel Khalife escape

  • Khalife ‘had help’ to escape, says former prisons minister

  • HMP Wandsworth had correct security protocols, suggests Justice Secretary

Met Police ‘pivoting’ investigation to Khalife’s escape and if other persons were involved

Saturday 9 September 2023 20:45 , Joe Middleton

The Metropolitan Police said it will now be “pivoting” its investigation to Khalife’s escape and if other people were involved after the terror suspect was captured on Saturday morning.

In a press release on Saturday evening Commander Dominic Murphy said: “Our priority following Khalife’s escape was to find him and bring him back to custody, which, thanks to the help of the public, and the excellent work by our officers, we have achieved.

“We are now pivoting our investigation towards the circumstances of his escape and whether there may have been any other persons involved and that investigation continues.”

Escaped terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife arrested as police tackle him off bike

Saturday 9 September 2023 21:23 , Joe Middleton

A terror suspect who escaped from prison by strapping himself to the underside of a delivery lorry has been caught after being tackled off his bike on a towpath by a police officer.

Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, a former soldier who fled HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday, was arrested on suspicion of being unlawfully at large and being an escaped prisoner.

He was spotted by the plainclothes counterterrorism officer just before 11am on Saturday in northwest London, about 12 miles from where he fled, and is now in police custody, the Metropolitan Police said. Khalife was found with the bike, a sleeping bag and a cool bag full of food.

Escaped terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife arrested as police tackle him off bike

Terror suspect ‘laughed and winked’ during arrest

Saturday 9 September 2023 22:46 , Joe Middleton

Terror suspect Daniel Khalife “laughed and winked” at onlooker after being detained by police on Saturday morning.

Student Ethan Andrews, 20, witnessed the arrest, he told The Sun: “The guy looked up at me, winked and started laughing. I thought, how arrogant is that?

“I can’t believe he was just sitting there, looked at me and just winked.”

Daniel Khalife arrested by police in west London

Sunday 10 September 2023 01:00 , Joe Middleton

Who is Daniel Abed Khalife? Royal Signals soldier and terror suspect arrested after 75 hours on run

Sunday 10 September 2023 02:00 , Chris Stevenson

A soldier turned terror suspect, Daniel Abed Khalife has been the subject of a nationwide manhunt, having finally been captured 75 hours after outwitting the guards at a London prison.

He escaped in a chef’s outfit by using straps to cling onto a food delivery van.

Police commissioner Mark Rowley said the escape was “clearly pre-planned” – pointing to “the fact he could strap himself onto the bottom of the wagon”, referring to the delivery van Khalife used to flee.

With airports and ports installing additional security measures and holidaymakers reporting delays at border control, his escape has posed serious questions about the suitability of his incarceration at a Category B prison.

Prior to his arrest in January, the 21-year-old had formerly been a serving soldier in the British Army since 2018 and had worked as a computer network engineer with the Royal Corps of Signals.

All we know about Daniel Khalife: Royal Signals soldier arrested after prison escape

Daniel Khalife escape: Anarchy revealed inside prison-break Wandsworth jail where inmates call the shots

Sunday 10 September 2023 03:00 , Joe Middleton

The chief inspector of prisons has revealed the chaos inside overcrowded Wandsworth jail where inmates tell staff the rules – as questions mount about the “inside help” fugitive Daniel Khalife was given to make his dramatic escape.

Writing exclusively for The Independent, Charlie Taylor described “small, dark and cramped” cells plagued with damp and vermin, where inmates are routinely locked up for 22 hours a day with little access to education or training to break the cycle of offending.

Anarchy revealed inside prison-break Wandsworth jail where inmates call the shots

Timeline of terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape from Wadsworth Prison and eventual arrest

Sunday 10 September 2023 04:00 , Joe Middleton

Terror suspect Daniel Khalife has been arrested on the fourth day of a manhunt after he escaped from HMP Wandsworth underneath a lorry.

The 21-year-old was arrested just before 11am on Saturday in Chiswick, west London, and is now in police custody, the force said.Officers descended on Chiswick with police dogs in tow after “intelligence-led activity” and confirmed sightings from members of the public in the area overnight.

Timeline of events around capture of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife

Escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife arrested in Chiswick

Sunday 10 September 2023 05:00 , Joe Middleton

How 75-hour manhunt for terror suspect panned out

Sunday 10 September 2023 05:49 , Vishwam Sankaran

The manhunt for 21-year-old escaped terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife started after prison staff alerted the Metropolitan Police force at 7:50am on Wednesday.

A national search ensued in the next four days, involving 150 Met officers and staff, as well as colleagues from other forces across the UK.

Officers worked “at pace around the clock” receiving more than 100 calls from members of the public.

The suspect is believed to have escaped from HMP Wandsworth prison strapped to the bottom of a delivery lorry on Wednesday.

Mapped: The hunt for escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife - arrested 45 minutes away

A member of the public reported seeing Khalife walking away from a Bidfood van near Wandsworth Roundabout after he made his escape from the prison.

Police helicopters circled around the Thames in west London looking for the 21-year-old.

The police force then focused its search in Chiswick after confirmed sightings.

Shortly after, the Met announced that the suspect had been nabbed in Chiswick and is currently in police custody.

Commander thanks public for support in capturing terror suspect

Sunday 10 September 2023 06:20 , Vishwam Sankaran

Counter-terrorism Commander Dominic Murphy thanked the public for their support in capturing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife.

“I am pleased to say that after 75 hours of my team and support from the Metropolitan police in leading the manhunt for Daniel Khalife, this morning he was arrested and he is now back in custody,” Mr Murphy said in a video message shared on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

“In no small part, this is thanks to support from the public who have called in their hundreds to support our manhunt. So I would like to thank you for all your efforts,” the commander said.

Prison inspector reveals what life inside Wandsworth facility is like

Sunday 10 September 2023 06:50 , Vishwam Sankaran

Terror suspect Daniel Khalife escaped from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday, leading to a 75-hour manhunt that led to his capture.

His Majesty’s chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor reveals what life inside the “vermin-infested, crumbling” prison is like.

The prison, which holds over 1,500 inmates is a “squalid, overcrowded” prison with 600 more prisoners than its original capacity, he says based on his account of the facility.

The inspector probed the facility in September 2021 following a string of self-inflicted deaths at the jail and returned again less than a year later.

At the prison, each cell is small, dark, and cramped, with an unscreened toilet in the corner, a sink, and a plastic chair.

Cells on the lower floors suffer from vermin, while those on the top are “unbearably hot” during the summer, the prison inspector says.

However, he adds that the prison’s staff still manage to do “an amazing job” despite the “most difficult circumstances.”

Why I believe squalid prisons like Wandsworth should be closed| Charlie Taylor

Read more about the inspector’s first-hand account of the Wandsworth prison here.

What is terror suspect Daniel Khalife accused of?

Sunday 10 September 2023 07:20 , Vishwam Sankaran

The 21-year old terror suspect Daniel Khalife, who escaped from the Wandsworth facility, is set to go on trial in November over charges that he left fake bombs at a military base.

His intentions were reportedly to stir fears of a terrorist attack.

The terror suspect is also accused of gathering information that could benefit a foreign enemy, reportedly Iran.

Prior to his initial arrest, the 21-year-old had formerly been a soldier in the British Army since 2018.

He had worked as a computer network engineer with the Royal Corps of Signals.

Mr Khalife allegedly placed “three canisters with wires at RAF Stafford with the intention of inducing in another a belief that the said article was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property.”

Khalife is believed to be of Iranian descent and the 21-year-old allegedly attempted to pass on “information that could be useful to an enemy” to a foreign power, believed to be Iran.

Questions that remain about Khalife's prison escape

Sunday 10 September 2023 07:55 , Vishwam Sankaran

Police commissioner Mark Rowley said the terror suspect’s escape from the Wandsworth prison was “clearly pre-planned.”

Daniel Khalife escaped from the prison by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery truck leaving the facility.

Mr Khalife’s escape has posed questions about the suitability of his incarceration at a Category B prison, when terror accused individuals are usually imprisoned in Category A facilities.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk has held an urgent call with the prison governor to seek assurances about the security of the jail.

“As people already know, the Justice Secretary has initiated an inquiry into the circumstances of his escape and that work will continue,” UK prime minister Rishi Sunak told broadcasters at the G20 summit venue in New Delhi.

Escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife ‘laughed' during arrest

Sunday 10 September 2023 08:31 , Tara Cobham

Escaped terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife “laughed” after he was tackled off his bike by a police officer on a canal towpath and then arrested, ending a 75-hour nationwide manhunt.

The former soldier – who was found with a sleeping bag, change of clothes, bottle of water and Waitrose cool bag – laughed at police and winked at passersby during his arrest, according to a witness.

Student Ethan Andrews, 20, told The Sun: “The guy looked up at me, winked and started laughing. I thought, how arrogant is that? I can’t believe he was just sitting there, looked at me and just winked.”

Runner describes seeing Khalife hours before arrest

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:01 , Chris Stevenson

Runner, Frank Noon, saw Wandsworth Prison terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife further down Thames hours before his arrest in Northolt.

Noon saw the 21-year-old “lying on his back” while he was running along the river.

“It was only when I saw him three hours later and he was wearing the same clothes that I thought that’s the same guy that’s weird,” Mr Noon told Sky News.

Khalife was tackled off his bike by a police officer on a canal towpath and then arrested, ending a 75-hour nationwide manhunt.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the former soldier was arrested by a plainclothes counter-terrorism officer near Rowdell Road in west London just before 11am on Saturday (9 September) morning and is currently in their custody.

Shabnoor Irshad reports:

Runner describes seeing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife hours before arrest

Justice Secretary says 40 inmates moved out of Wandsworth Prison

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:05 , Tara Cobham

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said that around 40 inmates of Category B HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the prison amid an investigation into how Daniel Khalife escaped.

He told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “Out of an abundance of caution some prisoners there, some of those on remand, have been moved (this week).

“Additional resources have of course gone into Wandsworth, so there’s additional governor support, a former governor with particular expertise in security.

“But also, out of an abundance of caution, around 40 prisoners have been moved just while we get to the bottom of what took place in Wandsworth. That is a sensible, precautionary measure.”

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said that around 40 inmates of Category B HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the prison amid an investigation into how Daniel Khalife escaped (PA Wire)
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said that around 40 inmates of Category B HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the prison amid an investigation into how Daniel Khalife escaped (PA Wire)

HMP Wandsworth had correct security protocols, suggests Justice Secretary

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:07 , Tara Cobham

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said an investigation has suggested that HMP Wandsworth did have the correct security protocols and staff in place at the time of Daniel Khalife’s escape.

Discussing preliminary findings of a review he issued, Mr Chalk told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips the investigation has looked into whether protocols were in place relating to the unloading of food from a van and searching the delivery vehicle.

“Those protocols were in place, point one,” he said.

“And point two, the relevant security staff were also in place. Plainly what we’ve yet to establish is whether those protocols were followed.”

He said he will set out the terms of reference “next week” of the separate independent investigation to ensure that the conclusions are “rock solid”.

Justice Secretary has ‘absolute confidence’ in HMPPS investigation

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:20 , Tara Cobham

The Justice Secretary has said he has “absolute confidence” in the senior leadership of HM Prison and Probation Service to do a “very rigorous, very searching” investigation following Daniel Khalife’s escape from Wandsworth Prison.

Alex Chalk told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that investigations into how the terror suspect was able to escape are currently underway.

He said: “I have absolute confidence in the senior leadership of HM Prison and Probation Service to do their own very rigorous, very searching investigation.”

Preliminary findings suggest it is “clear” the relevant security protocols and staff were in place at the time of Khalife’s escape, he said.

Wandsworth prisoners spend 22 hours a day in cells, says chief inspector

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:22 , Tara Cobham

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has said that prisoners at Wandsworth Prison spend up to 22 hours a day in their cells.

He told the BBC: “I think Wandsworth is failing typical of most inner city Victorian local prisons of which there is still a huge amount that are open and and there are three things really it’s about having enough staff of the right quality. It’s about the level of overcrowding that you have.

“I think Wandsworth is 600 over what it was originally designed for. It’s about, 1,600 prisoners, and that means lots of people sharing cells that were originally designed for one person.

“And the third thing is about prisoners having enough to do and what we found when we inspected Wandsworth last year was that people were largely locked in their cells for up to 22 hours a day and sometimes even worst at the weekends.”

HMP Wandsworth in London, which terror suspect Daniel Abed escaped from clinging on to a delivery lorry (PA Wire)
HMP Wandsworth in London, which terror suspect Daniel Abed escaped from clinging on to a delivery lorry (PA Wire)

Prison governors’ hands tied by ‘extraordinary level of bureaucracy'

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:54 , Tara Cobham

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has said that prison governors’ hands are often tied by an “extraordinary level of bureaucracy”.

He told the Laura Kuenssberg show: “It’s not just about the pipeline of people coming in. It’s also about the quality of people coming in. And the fact that many people are leaving the job after quite short periods of time.

“And one of the reasons for that, and governors tell me this is that, governors themselves have no part in the selection of staff who come and work in their jail. The boss can’t choose their staff.

“I’m a former head teacher and I sit there aghast at some of the things that governors can’t do. They can’t commission work.

“I spoke to a governor last week who said that in order to buy a pot of paint, she had to go through some long procurement exercise through the centre rather than sending someone down to Howdens to buy a pot of paint to decorate some cells.

“So there is a sort of bureaucracy around prisons, which makes things incredibly complicated and means the governors, some of them are unbelievably impressive people who do an absolutely brilliant job, but often their hands are tied by what seems to me coming from an education background, like an extraordinary level of bureaucracy.”

Prison population gone over 88,000, says chief inspector

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:56 , Tara Cobham

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor told the BBC the prison population has gone over 88,000.

He said: “If you go back to the mid 1990s, when actually crime was much higher than it is now, our prison population was half what it is, or pretty much half what it is today. I think it was around 40 to 44,000 and it’s now gone up to over 88,000.

“The projections are that it will go up even further and the problem is if it goes up even further what that means is more prisoners sharing cells that were designed for one person, continuing to use these old battered, crumbling vermin infested Victorian jails, which would make fantastic museums or flats but really are not fit for purpose for the 21st century.

“But also that there aren’t enough staff in place to be able to unlock prisoners and actually to begin to do the things with prisoners that are actually going to help them to not offend when they come out.

“Prisons have got a public protection duty to keep people locked up when they’re inside, but they also have a public protection duty to make sure that they put in place the things that mean that when someone leaves prison, they’re less likely to reoffend.”

Inmates moved out of Wandsworth Prison after Khalife escape

Sunday 10 September 2023 09:58 , Tara Cobham

Around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the Category B prison after terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape, the Justice Secretary has said.

Justice Secretry Alex Chalk said on Sunday that the preliminary findings of his investigation into the ageing London jail have found that the relevant procedures and security staff were in place.

But he said dozens of individuals on remand have been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution” amid questions over why a former soldier accused of a terror offence was not in the highest security prison.

Sam Blewett reports:

Inmates moved out of Wandsworth Prison after Daniel Khalife escape

Khalife ‘had help’ to escape, says former prisons minister

Sunday 10 September 2023 10:16 , Tara Cobham

Terror suspect Daniel Khalife would have received some sort of “collusion and support” to aid his escape, a former prisons minister has said.

Former Tory MP Rory Stewart also said that prisons in England and Wales are “unmanageable”.

Asked if he would have resigned if the escape happened during his tenure, he told Sky News: “I definitely think that it’s important for ministers to take full responsibility.

“There are 120 prisons in England and Wales. There were escapes on my watch…for the first few days, you’re just trying to work out what on earth happened – how did this happen? And the story changes, as you can imagine, minute by minute. You have to get on the ground in Wandsworth and talk to the governor.

“In this particular case, it seems clear if he had strapping underneath this vehicle, that there was some kind of collusion and support. But it’s also clear that they seemed to spend, I don’t know, half an hour/45 minutes before they even noticed he was gone from the kitchen, and he shouldn’t be in the kitchen in the first place.”

Mr Stewart added: “The bigger issue is the prison population, these prisons are totally unmanageable. And the main thing that I was trying to do when I was in government is reduce the prison population.”

Recap: Soldiers reveal what Khalife is really like

Sunday 10 September 2023 11:45 , Tara Cobham

The soldier facing terrorism and espionage charges who escaped from prison claimed to be a survivalist and went on solitary overnight camping expeditions when off-duty, according to former colleagues who knew him.

Daniel Abed Khalife boasted that he would join a signals unit of Special Forces and was preparing for the entry requirements. There is, however, no evidence of him officially embarking on this path. Former soldiers who knew him say that he was viewed as “ a bit of a fantasist” , but someone “ who took his fitness seriously”.

Two former soldiers in the Royal Corps of Signals described 21 year old Khalife as someone seeking attention and sometimes “ playing the clown” to do so. They recall an incident in which he stole a senior officer’s epaulettes, put them on his uniform, and wanted to post photos on social media wearing them.

Kim Sengupta reports:

The vain survivalist: Soldiers reveal what Daniel Abed Khalife is really like

Police ‘pivot’ investigation to looking at whether Khalife had help

Sunday 10 September 2023 12:14 , Tara Cobham

The Metropolitan Police said it is now “pivoting” its investigation towards looking at whether Daniel Khalife had any help with his escape from Wandsworth Prison following the terror suspect’s arrest yesterday.

Commander Murphy said: “Our priority following Khalife’s escape was to find him and bring him back to custody, which, thanks to the help of the public, and the excellent work by our officers, we have achieved. We are now pivoting our investigation towards the circumstances of his escape and whether there may have been any other persons involved and that investigation continues.”

Timeline of Khalife’s escape from Wandsworth Prison and eventual arrest

Sunday 10 September 2023 13:00 , Chris Stevenson

Terror suspect Daniel Khalife has been arrested on the fourth day of a manhunt after he escaped from HMP Wandsworth underneath a lorry.

The 21-year-old was arrested just before 11am on Saturday in Northolt, west London, and is now in police custody, the force said.Officers descended on Chiswick with police dogs in tow after "intelligence-led activity" and confirmed sightings from members of the public in the area overnight.

Rishi Sunak said he is "very pleased" Khalife has been arrested as he praised efforts by the police and the public in finding him.

Here is a timeline of the events leading to the capture of Khalife:

Timeline of events around capture of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife

Daniel Khalife charged by police after escaping Wandsworth prison

Sunday 10 September 2023 13:30 , Tara Cobham

The Metropolitan Police said Daniel Khalife, 21, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday after being charged with escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth in London.

Khalife was arrested on Saturday morning on a towpath near Rowdell Road in Northolt.

He is charged with escaping custody on September 6 while on remand at Wandsworth pending trial at the Old Bailey, contrary to common law.

The Metropolitan Police said Daniel Khalife, 21, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (AP)
The Metropolitan Police said Daniel Khalife, 21, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (AP)

Full Met Police statement on charging Khalife

Sunday 10 September 2023 14:26 , Tara Cobham

Daniel Khalife has been charged with escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth, the Metropolitan Police has said.

In a statement, the force said:

A man who was arrested after escaping from HMP Wandsworth has been charged.

Daniel Abed Khalife, 21 (27.09.01) will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 11 September charged as follows:

On the 6th day of September 2023, then being a prisoner in his Majesty’s prison at Wandsworth, being remanded in custody pending trial as ordered at the Central Criminal Court on the 21st day of July 2023, escaped, contrary to common law.

Khalife was arrested on a towpath near Rowdell Road, Northolt on Saturday, 9 September following a policing operation led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

He was charged on Sunday, 10 September.

Metropolitan Police

Questions raised over security of Wandsworth Prison

Sunday 10 September 2023 14:58 , Tara Cobham

Questions have been raised over the security of the prison following the police manhunt.

On Sunday, the Justice Secretary said around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the Category B jail.

Alex Chalk told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme that a preliminary investigation into London’s Victorian prison had found that the relevant procedures and security staff were in place.

But he said dozens of individuals on remand have been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution” amid questions over why a former soldier accused of a terror offence was not in the highest security prison.

ICYMI: The Anarchy inside Wandsworth jail where inmates call the shots

Sunday 10 September 2023 15:57 , Lydia Patrick

Daniel Khalife broke out of Wandsworth jail in on Wednesday leaving major questions to be answered about the facility’s security.

Speaking exclusively to the Independent, the chief inspector of prisions Charlie Taylor reveals a critical situation of overcrowdedness, squalor and vermin.

He also spoke of insuffiecient staffing levels and inexperienced workers who are ‘fresh out of school. Inmates are often locked in their cells for 22 hours a day with no access to education and training, according to Mr Taylor.

An inspection last year found that 30 per cent of prison officers were unable to perform their duties, with the incessant influx of drugs causing high levels of violence.

Mr Taylor said: “Prisoners will not be unlocked on time because there is nobody to do it. They will not get to education or employment because there is nobody to escort them. They will not have clean clothes or bedding. The demand, and thus the supply, of drugs will rise, and with it an illicit economy that leads to debt and to violence.”

Read the full story here:

Anarchy revealed inside prison-break Wandsworth jail where inmates call the shots

When will Daniel Khalife appear in court?

Sunday 10 September 2023 16:30 , Lydia Patrick

Daniel Khalife has been charged with escaping from custody at HMP Wandsworth, the Metropolitan Police have said.

The terror suspect will ppear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.In a statement, the Met said: “Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday September 11 charged as follows: On the 6th day of September 2023, then being a prisoner in His Majesty’s Prison at Wandsworth, being remanded in custody pending trial as ordered at the Central Criminal Court on the 21st day of July 2023, escaped, contrary to common law.”

Khalife’s capture followed a mass land and air search over four days (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media)
Khalife’s capture followed a mass land and air search over four days (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media)

How police tracked down Daniel Khalife in a 75 hour national manhunt

Sunday 10 September 2023 17:00 , Lydia Patrick

Daniel Khalife’s ‘ingenious’ escaoe from Wandsworth jail led to his eventual capture - involving police dogs, helicopters and back gardens.

The Metropolitan Police noted Khalife’s “ingenuity” as he escaped HMP Wandsworth in ‘prison break’ fashion by strapping himself to the underside of a delivery lorry.

A national manhunt then followed as the police scoured Richmond Park.

Two days later a confirmed sighting is believed to have helped officers locate the 21-year-old.

S member of the public reported seeing a man matching Khalife’s description walking away from a Bidfood van that had stopped near the south entrance to Wandsworth Roundabout shortly after his escape.

Commander Dominic Murphy said on Friday evening that police conducted an intelligence-led search at a residential property in the Richmond area.

He said: “We had the helicopter up, we had dogs, we had an awful lot of resource.

“I’m aware that it caused some concern for residents seeing police officers trying to search around their houses and in some cases, I’ve heard on the media… in their back gardens.

“This was all in an effort to try and locate Daniel Khalife.”

After reports of further sightings in the Church Street and Chiswick Mall area, further officers were deployed.

Khalife was eventually found on a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, around eight miles from where he was last seen by a member of the public.

Read the full story here:

Helicopter, police dogs and intelligence: How police tracked down Daniel Khalife

Mapped - the 75-hour national manhunt to capture Khalife

Sunday 10 September 2023 17:30 , Lydia Patrick

See where and how the 75-hour search unfolded after Daniel Khalife escaped from HMP Wandsworth.

It is believed the former soldier strapped himelf to a Bidfood delivery van to get out of jail.

75-hours and a mass police search later, Khalife was arrested just over an hour away from his cell.

Read the full report here

Mapped - the manhunt for Daniel Khalife (The Independent)
Mapped - the manhunt for Daniel Khalife (The Independent)

Inmates moved out of Wandsworth Prison after Daniel Khalife escape

Sunday 10 September 2023 18:00 , Lydia Patrick

Around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the Category B prison after terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape, the Justice Secretary has said.

Justice Secretry Alex Chalk said on Sunday that the preliminary findings of his investigation into the ageing London jail have found that the relevant procedures and security staff were in place.

But he said dozens of individuals on remand have been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution” amid questions over why a former soldier accused of a terror offence was not in the highest security prison.

Mr Chalk told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “Out of an abundance of caution, some prisoners there – some of those on remand – have been moved (this week).

“Additional resources have, of course, gone into Wandsworth, so there’s additional governor support, a former governor with particular expertise in security.

“But also, out of an abundance of caution, around 40 prisoners have been moved just while we get to the bottom of what took place in Wandsworth. That is a sensible, precautionary measure.”

Read the full story here

Inmates moved out of Wandsworth Prison after Daniel Khalife escape

Inmate stabbed at Wandsworth jail days after Daniel Khalife escape

Sunday 10 September 2023 18:23 , Lydia Patrick

An inmate of HMP Wandsworth has been stabbed four days after another prisoner escaped, the Met Police have confirmed.

The man remains in a critical condition after emergency services were called just after 3pm today and an air ambulance was sent to the scene.

It is believed the incident broke out between two prisoners.

Police say they were called to the scene at 3.20pm to reports of an assault.

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has said around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the jail after terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has said around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the jail after terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

‘Why I believe prisons like Wandsworth should be closed’

Sunday 10 September 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick

Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor gives a shocking account of day-to-day life inside vermin-infested HMP Wandworth.

He writes exclusively for The Independent: “We inspected Wandsworth in September 2021 after a spate of self-inflicted deaths at the jail, and returned again less than a year later because we were so concerned about what we found.

“The cells at Wandsworth are small, dark and cramped, with an unscreened toilet in the corner, a sink and a plastic chair. Those on the lower floors suffer from vermin and damp, while the cells on the top landings are unbearably hot during the summer.”

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has said around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the jail after terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has said around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the jail after terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s escape (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

The inspector says inmates are refined to their cells to periods of up to 22 hours a day and staffing levels are dangerously low.

With a lack of educational and developmental opportunities behind bars, Taylor explains it is no wonder the crumbling correction unit has become the perfect gateway for high levels of drug use and violence.

Read the full account about life inside Wandsworth here:

Why I believe squalid prisons like Wandsworth should be closed| Charlie Taylor

Where was Daniel Khalife found?

Sunday 10 September 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick

Khalife was arrested on a towpath near Rowdell Road, Northolt on Saturday 9 September following a policing operation led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

After a mass land and air search aided by the security services, Khalife was detained on suspicion of being unlawfully at large and being an escaped prisoner at 10.41am on Saturday after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothed counter terrorism officer.

He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London, around eight miles from where he was last seen by a member of the public.

Khalife was “fully cooperative” as he was handcuffed, with some reports claiming he was “laughing” as he was arrested.

 (Lucy North/PA Wire)
(Lucy North/PA Wire)

How did Daniel Khalife escape prison?

Sunday 10 September 2023 21:00 , Lydia Patrick

Daniel Abed Khalife, a former British Army soldier, is thought to have used makeshift straps to cling onto a food delivery van while wearing a chef’s uniform to escape from HMP Wandsworth.

He was wearing a prison-issue chef’s uniform of a white T-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown steel toe cap boots, police said.

Dressed as a chef, the former Royal Signals soldier evaded guards and cameras as the lorry was driven out as he clung on using makeshift straps taking him out of the jail in seconds.

All we know about how suspected terrorist escaped HMP Wandsworth as manhunt continues

How did Daniel Khalife get caught?

Sunday 10 September 2023 23:00 , Lydia Patrick

After various sightings a national manhunt led by the police involving helicopters, dogs and back gardens led officers to track him down.

Commander Dominic Murphy said on Friday evening that police conducted an intelligence-led search at a residential property in the Richmond area.

He said: “We had the helicopter up, we had dogs, we had an awful lot of resource.

“I’m aware that it caused some concern for residents seeing police officers trying to search around their houses and in some cases, I’ve heard on the media… in their back gardens.

“This was all in an effort to try and locate Daniel Khalife.”

After reports of further sightings in the Church Street and Chiswick Mall area, further officers were deployed.

Khalife was eventually found on a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, around eight miles from where he was last seen by a member of the public.

Read the full story here

Helicopter, police dogs and intelligence: How police tracked down Daniel Khalife

Dog walker says she chatted with Daniel Khalife on park bench

Sunday 10 September 2023 23:15 , Namita Singh

A woman says she sat and had a chat with prison escapee Daniel Khalife the day before he was found.

Gabriella Lewis told The Sun that the 21-year-old revealed he had just left the Army and had a badly stitched ear injury at Chiswick House and Garden.

Khalife was found after a 75-hour land and air manhunt (PA)
Khalife was found after a 75-hour land and air manhunt (PA)

Feeling uncomfortable, the 52-year-old dog walker says she turned to him to say: ‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’, as reported in The Sun.

“He replied, ‘I’ve just got out of the Army’, which I thought was a strange way to start a conversation. I just said, ‘Oh. That’s good’.

“I thought if he had just left the Army he might have post traumatic stress disorder, so I was trying to be nice to him.”

She also told The Sun: “Considering he had been on the run for two days he didn’t look dirty at all. He actually looked very clean.

“But his ear looked like it had a bit missing or it had split. It had stitches in it but not like the kind you get from a doctor. It looked like he had used a blue fishing line.”

What has Daniel Khalife been charged with?

Monday 11 September 2023 00:00 , Lydia Patrick

Daniel Khalife has been charged with escaping from custody at HMP Wandsworth, the Metropolitan Police have said.

Khalife, 21, was dramatically arrested on Saturday in the northwest London suburb of Northolt.

His capture followed a mass land and air search over four days after he went missing from the prison on Wednesday.

He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday 11 September charged as follows:

“On the sixth day of September 2023, then being a prisoner in His Majesty’s prison at Wandsworth, being remanded in custody pending trial as ordered at the Central Criminal Court on the 21st day of July 2023, escaped, contrary to common law.”

Read the full story here

Daniel Abed Khalife charged with escaping from Wandsworth Prison

Daniel Khalife’s escape follows a rich – and troubled – history of prison breaks

01:01 , Lydia Patrick

Guy Walters explores a long line of theatrical prison breaks as Daniel Khalife earns a place in criminal history - alongside members of the IRA, a train robber and an ex-M16 agent.

Ronnie Biggs, am infamous train robber, also escaped from Wandsworth prison in 1965. While Biggs did not use a rope, he did use a rope ladder to scale a prison wall, which had been slung over by accomplices.

While his fellow prisoners staged a scuffle to distract the wardens, Biggs hotfooted it over the wall. On the other side was not a boat, but a removals lorry, through the roof of which Biggs climbed and away to freedom.

Even though his gang were a bunch of violent larcenous thugs, Biggs enjoyed a certain folk hero status while living in exile in Brazil, from where he eventually returned to be imprisoned once more in 2001.

Read about the other famous escapes here

Daniel Khalife’s escape follows a rich history of prison breaks

Justice secretary insists HMP Wandsworth was runnning at a safe and secure level

02:00 , Lydia Patrick

Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk said on Sunday that the preliminary findings of his investigation into London’s Victorian jail have found that the relevant procedures and security staff were in place.

But he said dozens of individuals on remand have been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution” amid questions over why a former soldier accused of a terror offence was not in the highest security prison.

Mr Chalk told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “Out of an abundance of caution, some prisoners there – some of those on remand – have been moved (this week).

Alex Chalk was speaking on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)
Alex Chalk was speaking on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

“Additional resources have, of course, gone into Wandsworth, so there’s additional governor support, a former governor with particular expertise in security.

“But also, out of an abundance of caution, around 40 prisoners have been moved just while we get to the bottom of what took place in Wandsworth. That is a sensible, precautionary measure.”

Mr Chalk, discussing the preliminary findings of a review he issued, said the investigation has looked into whether protocols were in place relating to the unloading of food from a van and searching the delivery vehicle.

“Those protocols were in place, point one,” he said. “And point two, the relevant security staff were also in place.

“Plainly what we’ve yet to establish is whether those protocols were followed.”

He said he will set out “next week” the terms of reference of the separate independent investigation to ensure that the conclusions are “rock solid”.

Runner describes seeing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife hours before arrest

03:00 , Lydia Patrick

Runner, Frank Noon, saw Wandsworth Prison terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife further down Thames hours before his arrest in Greenford.

Noon saw the 21-year-old “lying on his back” while he was running along the river.

“It was only when I saw him three hours later and he was wearing the same clothes that I thought that’s the same guy that’s weird,” Mr Noon told Sky News.

Khalife was tackled off his bike by a police officer on a canal towpath and then arrested, ending a 75-hour nationwide manhunt.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the former soldier was arrested by a plainclothes counter-terrorism officer near Rowdell Road in west London just before 11am on Saturday (9 September) morning and is currently in their custody.

Inmate stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, Met Police says

04:05 , Namita Singh

An inmate has been stabbed at HMP Wandsworth days after Daniel Khalife’s escape, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Police were called at around 3.20pm on Sunday to reports that an inmate had been assaulted inside the prison.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and a 24-year-old was taken to hospital to be treated for a stab wound.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed his condition was not life-threatening and no arrests have been made.

Report:

Inmate stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, Met Police says

Khalife to appear before Westminster Magistrate’s court

04:30 , Matt Mathers

Daniel Abed Khalife will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday after he was charged with escaping from custody at HMP Wandsworth.

He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London at 10.41am on Saturday after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer.

His detention followed a massive land and air search over four days after he went missing from the prison on Wednesday.

Prior to his alleged escape, Khalife was on remand at HMP Wandsworth after being charged with terror offences in January.

Around 40 HMP Wandsworth inmates moved out

05:00 , Namita Singh

Around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the Category B jail, the justice secretary said yesterday.

The move comes amid outrage over Daniel Abed Khalife’s escape from the prison last week.

Alex Chalk told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme that a preliminary investigation into the Victorian prison had found that the relevant procedures and security staff were in place.

Two women walk out of the entrance to Wandsworth Prison (Getty Images)
Two women walk out of the entrance to Wandsworth Prison (Getty Images)

But he said dozens of individuals on remand have been moved to different sites “out of an abundance of caution” amid questions over why a former soldier accused of a terror offence was not in the highest security prison.

Khalife charged with escaping from Wandsworth Prison

05:30 , Namita Singh

Daniel Khalife has been charged with escaping from custody at HMP Wandsworth, the Metropolitan Police have said.

Khalife, 21, was dramatically arrested on Saturday in the northwest London suburb of Northolt.

His capture followed a mass land and air search over four days after he went missing from the prison on Wednesday.

He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday 11 September charged as follows:

“On the sixth day of September 2023, then being a prisoner in His Majesty’s prison at Wandsworth, being remanded in custody pending trial as ordered at the Central Criminal Court on the 21st day of July 2023, escaped, contrary to common law.”

Rich Booth has more:

Daniel Abed Khalife charged with escaping from Wandsworth Prison

Two Wandsworth Prison guards ‘suspended’

06:00 , Namita Singh

Two Wandsworth Prison guards have been suspended days after Daniel Abed Khalife went missing from the facility.

This comes as officials hunt for accomplices involved in aiding and abetting his alleged escape.

According to LBC, the guards are believed to have been involved in overseeing the exit of a catering vehicle which Khalife is accused of using to escape the prison.

Jeremy Hunt raised concerns over Wandsworth Prison conditions months before Khalife’s escape

06:15 , Namita Singh

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt raised concerns over the staffing problems in Wandsworth Prison months before terror accused Daniel Abed Khalife managed to escape from the jail.

Mr Hunt escalated a complaint to Wandsworth’s governor Katie Price in April this year, after one of his constituents wrote to him about the lax standards of staffing inside.

He also raised the issue with prisons minister Damian Hinds after he did not receive a response to his complaint to Ms Price, reported The Telegraph.

According to the outlet, the constituent, who was held on remand for about eight months, told the chancellor about the prison conditions in six page-long letter. The staff did “as little as possible” when there was no manager on duty, claimed the ex-prisoner in his letter, adding that there were no consequences for poor performance.

Timeline of Daniel Khalife’s escape and eventual arrest

06:30 , Namita Singh

Terror suspect Daniel Khalife was arrested on the fourth day of a manhunt after he escaped from HMP Wandsworth underneath a lorry.

The 21-year-old was arrested just before 11am on Saturday in Chiswick, west London, and is now in police custody, the force said.

Officers descended on Chiswick with police dogs in tow after “intelligence-led activity” and confirmed sightings from members of the public in the area overnight.

Rishi Sunak said he is “very pleased” Khalife has been arrested as he praised efforts by the police and the public in finding him.

Here is a timeline of the events leading to the capture of Khalife:

Timeline of events around capture of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife

Daniel Khalife’s escape follows a rich – and troubled – history of prison breaks

07:00 , Namita Singh

Prison breaks summon up conflicting feelings. At first, there is deep concern, a justifiable worry that an often-violent criminal is now on the loose.

But then – as details of the escape emerge – there is a reluctant admiration for the man on the run and a thrill engendered not only by his resourcefulness but also of course by the chase.

Hollywood knows this conflict all too well, which is why prison break movies invariably feature the wrongly imprisoned, in order to make our enjoyment of the escape more morally comfortable, writes historian Guy Walters:

Daniel Khalife’s escape follows a rich history of prison breaks

Daniel Khalife due to appear in court charged with escaping from custody

08:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Daniel Khalife is due to appear in court charged with escaping from custody at HMP Wandsworth.

The 21-year-old former soldier was arrested on a canal towpath in west London at 10.41am on Saturday after being pulled off a bike by a plainclothes counter-terrorism officer.

His capture followed a mass land and air search over four days after he went missing from the prison on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police said a member of the public reported seeing a man matching Khalife’s description walking away from a Bidfood van that had stopped near the south entrance to Wandsworth Roundabout on Wednesday morning.

Officers carried out a search in the Richmond area and although Khalife was not found there, the force received a number of calls from the public with sightings of the suspect nearby.

Police checked gardens, stopped and inspected cars and asked residents for their IDs throughout Saturday morning.

Khalife was eventually found on a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, around eight miles from where he was last seen by a member of the public.

He was on remand at HMP Wandsworth after being charged with terror offences in January.

He will face Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Recap: who is Daniel Abed Khalife

08:45 , Matt Mathers

Daniel Abed Khalife was captured by police in a dramatic arrest along a canal towpath in northwest London over the weekend

As we’ve been reporting, he’s due to appear in court later today charged with escaping from Wandsworth Prison in south London.

But who is he and why was he in jail in the first place? Holly Evans and Andy Gregory report:

All we know about Daniel Khalife: Royal Signals soldier arrested after prison escape

54 prisoners released in error last year

09:05 , Matt Mathers

Officials are carrying out investigations trying to establish how Khalife was able to escape from Wandsworth Prison.

Security sources have told The Independent that it is “almost certain” he had inside help after strapping himself to the bottom of a food delivery truck to escape.

The number of people who manage to escape from prison is low, although jailbreaks are not unheard of. Prisoners are also sometimes “released in error.”

This means they are wrongly discharged from prison or court when they should have remained in custody, where the prisoner has not deliberately played a part in the error - i.e. the prisoner had no intent of escaping.

Examples include misplaced warrants for imprisonment or remand, recall notices not acted upon, sentence miscalculation or discharging the wrong person on escort.

Last year 54 prisoners were released in error, according to Ministry of Justice figures. The map below shows where these errors took place and how many there were from each prison.

Inmate stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, Met Police says

09:43 , Matt Mathers

An inmate has been stabbed at HMP Wandsworth days after Daniel Khalife’s escape, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Police were called at around 3.20pm on Sunday to reports that an inmate had been assaulted inside the prison.

Jacob Phillips reports:

Inmate stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, Met Police says

Khalife arrives at court

10:06 , Matt Mathers

Khalife has arrived at court ahead of his appearance in front of Westminster Magistratess’ on Monday morning.

A prison van carrying the suspected terrorist was seen arriving at the court in central London earlier today.

The heavily armoured vehicle was accompanied by three black unmarked police car driving in convoy.

 (Sky News)
(Sky News)
The officers appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (PA) (PA Archive)
The officers appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (PA) (PA Archive)

Breaking: Khalife used ‘bed sheets’ to strap himself to van

10:47 , Matt Mathers

Daniel Khalife used a material that may have been from “bed sheets” to strap himself to the underside of a van when he escaped from prison last week, a court has heard.

Khalife appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday after being captured and charged with escaping from prison.

He was remanded in custody.

Full report:

Daniel Khalife ‘may have used bedsheets’ in escape from Wandsworth prison

Recap: Timeline of Khalife’s escape from Wandsworth Prison and eventual arrest

11:04 , Matt Mathers

Khalife has been remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with escaping from prison.

Below is a timeline of his jailbreak and the hunt to find him:

Timeline of events around capture of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife

Hunt flagged ‘extremely worrying’ conditions at Wandsworth months ago - report

11:27 , Matt Mathers

Jeremy Hunt raised concerns about the “extremely worrying” conditions and staff shortages at Wandsworth prison as far back as April, it has been reported.

The chancellor wrote to the prison’s governor Katie Price in April but did not get a reply, prompting him to flag the issue with Damian Hinds, the prisons minister in June.

He didn’t get a response until last month, according to The Daily Telegraph. Mr Hunt was alerted to the alleged conditions by a constituent who had been held on remand at Wandsworth for eight months.

 (PA Wire)
(PA Wire)

Khalife spoke only to confirm his name

11:58 , Matt Mathers

Before a short hearing, he appeared in the dock flanked by two police officers and a dock officer.

Khalife entered the courtroom wearing a grey jumper and jogging bottoms and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

Detailing the allegation against the defendant, prosecutor Thomas Williams said the former soldier is alleged to have escaped on the underside of a food delivery vehicle.

Mr Williams said Khalife is accused of strapping himself to the lorry using "material which may have been from bed sheets".

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram was told the material was found underneath the vehicle by police, with clips at each end and marks which were consistent with someone having been there.

The court also heard that, when Khalife was arrested, he had a bag containing cash and a mobile phone with him.

Daniel Khalife is charged with escaping from custody at Wandsworth Prison (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media)
Daniel Khalife is charged with escaping from custody at Wandsworth Prison (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media)

ICYMI: Runner describes seeing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife hours before arrest

12:25 , Matt Mathers

Runner Frank Noon says he saw Khalife further down Thames hours before his arrest in Greenford.

Noon saw the 21-year-old “lying on his back” while he was running along the river.

“It was only when I saw him three hours later and he was wearing the same clothes that I thought that’s the same guy that’s weird,” Mr Noon told Sky News.

Khalife was tackled off his bike by a police officer on a canal towpath and then arrested, ending a 75-hour nationwide manhunt.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the former soldier was arrested by a plainclothes counter-terrorism officer near Rowdell Road in west London just before 11am on Saturday (9 September) morning and is currently in their custody.

Watch a clip from Noon’s interview here:

Runner describes seeing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife hours before arrest

Khalife had mobile phone and a bag of cash when arrested

12:44 , Matt Mathers

The court also heard that, when Khalife was arrested, he had a bag containing cash and a mobile phone with him.

Police checked gardens, stopped and inspected cars, and asked residents for their IDs throughout Saturday morning following the alleged escape.

On Sunday, justice secretary Alex Chalk said around 40 inmates of HMP Wandsworth have been moved out of the Category B jail.

The defendant he will next appear at the Old Bailey on 29 September.

Towpath where he was captured (Lucy North/PA Wire)
Towpath where he was captured (Lucy North/PA Wire)

Helicopter, police dogs and intelligence: How police tracked down Daniel Khalife

13:20 , Matt Mathers

Police dogs, a helicopter and officers searching in back gardens eventually helped lead to terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s capture following his escape from prison.

The Metropolitan Police previously noted the former soldier’s “ingenuity” as he managed to hold on to strapping on the underside of a delivery lorry to escape from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning.

Josh Payne reports:

Helicopter, police dogs and intelligence: How police tracked down Daniel Khalife

A ‘team effort’ between counter-terrorism and local police officers helped catch Khalife - Met commissioner

13:34 , Eleanor Noyce

Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said a “team effort” between counter-terrorism and local police officers helped bring in terror suspect Daniel Khalife.

He told a Policy Exchange event: “Just the last few days I’ve seen the whole of the Metropolitan Police working with many other forces, and other partners, recapture Khaliffe, the suspected terrorist who was on the run.

“I think it’s interesting to reflect that probably nowhere else in the world do we have a system this joined up - where counter terror specialists are working with a far greater number of colleagues in specialist crime and local police officers to bring back in a dangerous and concerning individual. that team effort was exceptionally powerful.”

ICYMI - Mapped: The 75-hour hunt for escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife – arrested 45 minutes down the road

13:40 , Matt Mathers

Escaped terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife has been found and arrested in west London following a 75-hour nationwide manhunt.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the former soldier was arrested by officers in Chiswick just before 11am on Saturday, a mere 45-minute drive away from the prison he escaped from on Wednesday morning.

After prison staff alerted the force to the missing 21-year-old at 7.50am, a national search ensued over the next four days, which The Independent has shown on a map.

Tara Cobham reports:

Mapped: The hunt for escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife - arrested 45 minutes away

ICYMI: Anarchy revealed inside prison-break Wandsworth jail where inmates call the shots

14:00 , Sam Rkaina

The chief inspector of prisons has revealed the chaos inside overcrowded Wandsworth jail where inmates tell staff the rules – as questions mount about the “inside help” fugitive Daniel Khalife was given to make his dramatic escape.

Writing exclusively for The Independent, Charlie Taylor described “small, dark and cramped” cells plagued with damp and vermin, where inmates are routinely locked up for 22 hours a day with little access to education or training to break the cycle of offending.

Full report:

Anarchy revealed inside prison-break Wandsworth jail where inmates call the shots

ICYMI: Daniel Khalife ‘may have used bedsheets’ in escape from Wandsworth prison

15:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Former soldier Daniel Khalife allegedly escaped prison by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery vehicle using a material “which may have been from bed sheets”, a court heard.

The 21-year-old was remanded into custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday.

He was arrested on a canal towpath in west London at 10.41am on Saturday after being pulled off a push bike by a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer.

Prior to his alleged escape, Khalife had been on remand at Wandsworth Prison after being charged with terror offences in January.

He will next appear at the Old Bailey on September 29.

Jordan Reynolds reports:

Daniel Khalife ‘may have used bedsheets’ in escape from Wandsworth prison

ICYMI: Runner describes seeing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife hours before arrest

17:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Runner, Frank Noon, saw Wandsworth Prison terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife further down Thames hours before his arrest in Greenford.

Noon saw the 21-year-old “lying on his back” while he was running along the river.

“It was only when I saw him three hours later and he was wearing the same clothes that I thought that’s the same guy that’s weird,” Mr Noon told Sky News.

Khalife was tackled off his bike by a police officer on a canal towpath and then arrested, ending a 75-hour nationwide manhunt.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the former soldier was arrested by a plainclothes counter-terrorism officer near Rowdell Road in west London just before 11am on Saturday (9 September) morning and is currently in their custody.

Runner describes seeing escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife hours before arrest

ICYMI: Inmate stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, Met Police says

17:55 , Sam Rkaina

An inmate has been stabbed at HMP Wandsworth days after Daniel Khalife’s alleged escape, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Police were called at around 3.20pm on Sunday to reports that an inmate had been assaulted inside the prison.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and a 24-year-old was taken to hospital to be treated for a stab wound.

Jacob Phillips reports:

Inmate stabbed at HMP Wandsworth, Met Police says

Terror suspect ‘who escaped prison using bedsheets found with bag of cash and Waitrose shopping’

19:25 , Eleanor Noyce

A suspected terrorist accused of escaping prison by using bedsheets to strap himself to the underside of a lorry was found with a bag of cash and shopping from Waitrose, a court heard.

Former soldier Daniel Khalife, 21, was pushed off his bicycle by an undercover anti-terror officer as he rode along a canal towpath in Northolt, west London at 10.41am on Saturday.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard he was captured just over an hour cycle away from Wandsworth Prison carrying a sleeping bag and a Waitrose bag filled with food and drink as the nationwide manhunt went into its third day.

Barney Davies reports:

Terror suspect ‘who escaped from prison found with bag of cash and Waitrose shopping’

23:10 , Sam Rkaina

We have now finished our live coverage but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.