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

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.