Daniel Khalife: Suspected terrorist was seen walking away from lorry …
The suspected terrorist on the run from HMP Wandsworth was spotted walking away from a food delivery lorry[1] less than a mile from the prison gates, police have confirmed, as they offered a £20,000 reward for information that leads to his capture.
More than 48 hours after former soldier Daniel Khalife broke out of the category B jail[2] in south London on Wednesday morning clinging to the underside of a food delivery truck, a member of the public came forward to report a sighting.
The 21-year-old, who was wearing a distinctive chef’s uniform including red and white gingham trousers, was seen by a member of the public walking away from the Bidfoods lorry and heading to Wandsworth town centre, just minutes after he had successfully escaped.
It is the first confirmed sighting of Khalife, who was awaiting trial on charges that he had tried to pass military secrets to Iran, and police said it could be “very significant”.
Prisoner seen leaving lorry (Daniel Khalife)[3]
The Metropolitan Police has now offered a £20,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to his arrest.
Police have received ‘100 calls’
Commander Dominic Murphy of the Met’s counter-terrorism command, said: “This remains a fast-paced and dynamic investigation, but I want the public to know that a large number of officers are working extremely hard to locate Khalife.
“We have now received more than 100 calls from the public, and we thank everyone who has contacted us with information.
“The sighting near Wandsworth Roundabout could be very significant, and this is one of many useful lines of inquiry that officers are pursuing.”
The complexity of the case was highlighted when another member of the public claimed to have seen Khalife climbing out from underneath a lorry and getting into a car on Upper Richmond Road, around an hour after he broke out of the prison. That sighting was later discounted.
Police issued fresh CCTV images of the van and pictures of the sort of uniform Khalife would have been wearing at the time of his escape. His uniform has not yet been recovered.
One theory is that the police had been holding back releasing images of the clothing in order to confirm that any sightings were genuine.
Earlier on Friday morning, police helicopters using thermal imaging cameras took part in searches of the 2,500 acre Richmond Park.
Was escape an ‘inside job’?
It came as Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, told LBC that Khalife’s escape was “clearly pre-planned” and said detectives were investigating whether he had received help from prison staff or fellow inmates.
Asked if police are looking into whether Khalife’s escape was an “inside job”, Sir Mark said: “It is a question. Did anyone inside the prison help him? Other prisoners, guard staff? Was he helped by people outside the walls or was it simply all of his own creation?”
Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Sir Mark Rowley added it was “odd” that Daniel Khalife had not been held in a maximum security prison.
Police have warned that Khalife’s army training and obvious ingenuity means he will be skilful at avoiding detection.
Mr Murphy urged Khalife to hand himself in to police, warning officers were “closing in”.
He said: “My message to him is to hand yourself in, either call us or go to a local police station and hand yourself in.
“With the reward we are offering today and the amazing support we have had from the public and the media, we will be closing in on you, Daniel, you really need to come in and give yourself up.”
From arrest in 2021 to escape
Khalife, who grew up in the Kingston area of south-west London, was first arrested in August 2021 on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act.
He was bailed by police and allowed to return to his base in Stafford but was arrested again in January this year on suspicion of leaving a fake bomb on his desk.
He was charged with two offences and remanded into custody at HMP Wandsworth, a category B prison, where he was granted a job in the kitchens.
In July, he appeared at the Old Bailey, where he was charged with a further Official Secrets Act breach. He was due to stand trial in November.
But on Wednesday morning, just after 7.30am, he sneaked under a food delivery lorry and, after attaching himself to the underside using straps, was driven to freedom.
Video of Khalife
Chair of Prison Officers’ Association cant rule out inside job
Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, said he couldn’t rule out corruption or bribery leading to Khalife’s escape.
He told Sky News: “We can’t rule anything out, but what I will say about the staff of Wandsworth – they are an amazing group of people doing a fantastic job on behalf of society in extremely stressful and difficult circumstances.”
Chef’s outfit worn by Khalife
The chef’s outfit worn by Daniel Khalife when he escaped
Credit: Metropolitan Police
The chef’s outfit worn by Daniel Khalife when he escaped
Credit: Metropolitan Police
5:27PM
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‘Very significant’ development
Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, told BBC: “Thanks to the support of the media and the public we have had a confirmed sighting of Daniel Khalife coming out from underneath a lorry near Wandsworth roundabout.
“He was spotted walking from Trinity Road along Swandon Way towards Wandsworth town centre.
“We will continue to focus our effort in London but also focus on other parts of the UK too.
“He was seen at the roundabout which is just over a mile from the prison.
“It’s very significant and will help us build a picture of what Daniel Khalife would have travelled. We have have had more than 100 calls from members of the public so far.
“We are offering up to £20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel so we can put him back in prison.”
Khalife spotted jumping off underside of lorry
Escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife was spotted jumping off the underside of a lorry shortly after fleeing Wandsworth Prison, police confirmed on Friday.
The 21-year-old was seen walking away from the BidFood delivery lorry as it drove along Trinity Road towards Swanson Way and into Wandsworth Town Centre.
There had earlier been unconfirmed reports that Khalil was seen climbing into a car further along the route taken by the lorry before it was stopped by police in East Putney.
Police confirm sighting
The Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism commander Dominic Murphy said the force is investigating a possible sighting of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife, adding the lead “could be very significant”.
It is understood to be separate to a suspected sighting earlier reported by The Telegraph, in which a man resembling Khalife was seen getting into a black car.
CCTV upgrade at Wandsworth three years overdue
The Ministry of Justice authorised funding for improved security at Wandsworth in 2019 following a prisoner escape, but the work wasn’t due to be completed until 2025.
CCTV at the jail was due to be improved in 2020, but the work did not start until Nov 2021. The delay means the project completion date was pushed back to 2025, according to i.
So when Daniel Abed Khalife escaped, the prison was aware its security was inadequate.
Military mindset will help Khalife cope while on the run
Major Michael Shearer, a former military officer, spoke about the mental state of a trained soldier on the run.
He told Sky News: “Soldiers know how to handle these type of pressures.
“The state of mind that soldiers have… there is constantly a part of their being that is thinking: ‘How will I deal with that?’”
Major Shearer said he wasn’t optimistic about Border Force officials catching Khalife.
He added: “We’ve got thousands of illegal immigrants coming into the country every day that our border force and other parts of our institutions cannot manage.
“So how do they find one individual on the way out? I’m at a loss to give comment on.”
Police urge shop assistant to come forward
The Metropolitan Police have urged a shop assistant to come forward after the Telegraph revealed the first suspected sighting of terror suspect Daniel Khalife.
In a statement, the force said: “We are aware of news reports about a shop assistant who believes they saw Daniel Khalife.
“We are trying to identify this man so we can speak with him. We urge him to contact us by calling 999.”
SAS veteran – Daniel Khalife could be hiding underground
A former SAS sergeant has claimed Daniel Khalife could be hidden underground in an attempt to avoid detection by thermal cameras.
Military veteran and author Chris Ryan told TalkTV that if the former soldier was in Richmond Park there was a possibility he could be holed up inside a garden shed that backs onto it.
“If he’s had help, he’ll be in a safe house now, so all he’s got to do is lie low for a couple of weeks before making a move,” Mr Ryan said
Government’s terror law reviewer – Daniel Khalife should have been in higher security prison
Jonathan Hall KC, the UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, told Radio 4’s World at One programme Daniel Khalife should have been held in a maximum security jail.
“I would have thought someone charged with espionage should be held more securely…just based on what the authorities knew”.
“They knew he was charged with an offence under the Official Secrets Act, that’s a very serious offence… one would have thought that you would look at the advanced capabilities that might come with working for or having relations with a hostile state” he said.
Mr Hall also warned against legislation to make all of those accused of terrorism to be placed in a category A prison.
“I’d be worried if there was a reaction which said now every person suspected of terrorism should be categorised as a high escape risk”.
Army incident at Channel Tunnel not linked to Daniel Khalife
Bomb disposal experts from the British Army have been deployed to the Channel Tunnel terminal near Folkestone but police say it is not linked to the search for Daniel Khalife.
The army was called after a suspicious vehicle was stopped earlier this morning. Traffic queues are building up on the M20 and A20 with entry to the terminal closed.
We are currently dealing with an incident at the Channel Tunnel terminal in #Folkestone in which a suspicious vehicle has been stopped. This is NOT connected to the ongoing search for escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife. Follow @LeShuttle and @HighwaysSEAST for travel updates. pic.twitter.com/ZTNIsSF6ap[16][17][18][19]
— Kent Police (UK) (@kent_police) September 8, 2023[20]
1:36PM
[21]
Incident happened out of CCTV range
CCTV footage from the shop, seen by the Telegraph, did not capture the moment because of the camera’s limited range.
If confirmed this would be the first reported sighting of Khalife since the terror suspect was reported to have escaped Wandsworth Prison.
Prison officers declared the 21-year-old missing at 07:50hrs on 6 September, after realising he was no longer present in the prison kitchens, where he had been working.
A huge manhunt was immediately launched, with the Metropolitan Police alerted at 08:15am.
Officers leading the hunt quickly realised Khalife had escaped the prison by strapping himself underneath the BidFood delivery lorry.
The lorry was quickly traced and stopped at 8:37, police officers stopped it in Upper Richmond Road, near the junction with Carlton Drive.
Officers spoke to the driver and carried out a thorough search, at which point they found the strapping on the underside of the van.
‘Lots of cars beeping and people annoyed’
His colleague told the Telegraph: “There was lots of beeping by cars and people were annoyed.
“My friend, one of the workers at the shop, was in the shop on that morning, at around 7.30, and he went outside where he saw a man running into a black car. The man was some tall lanky dude with dark hair and there was a Bid food van.
“My friend didn’t see him getting out of the van but he saw him sprint across the street to the traffic lights.”
The man said they had tried to report the sighting to the police earlier on Friday but had not yet managed to talk to an officer.
Police said they had not yet received any confirmed sightings of Khalife but were pursuing all leads.
First suspected sighting of alleged terrorist
A newsagent has claimed the escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife may have jumped into a car around two miles from Wandsworth prison, The Telegraph can reveal.
The shop assistant told his manager he saw a “tall, lanky dude with dark hair”, who he later thought he recognised from media images as being Khalife, enter a black coloured vehicle outside Wandsworth County Court, a 10 minute drive west of the Victorian prison.
The eyewitness, who does not want to be identified, was working at ‘The Market – Putney Newsagents’ on the morning of Wednesday 6 when he heard a commotion outside the shop, with cars beeping and people shouting.
The eyewitness told his manager he saw the man sprinting across the street from the direction of the BidFood lorry before getting into an eastbound black car on the other side of the road by traffic lights, directly next to the county court.
Rishi Sunak declines to endorse Wandsworth governor
The Prime Minister has declined to endorse the governor of HMP Wandsworth, following the escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife.
Asked specifically whether he has confidence in Katie Price, who presides over the Victorian jail, Mr Sunak said he would wait for the facts to emerge from an inquiry launched by Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.
He said: “This is obviously something that people will be focused on and I want to reassure people the police are working night and day to recapture the individual. Thankfully, these incidents are extremely rare.
“The Justice Secretary has initiated already an internal inquiry into specific circumstances around his escape. And it would be right to just let that go through so we know exactly what happens.”
Pushed again, he said insisted that it was important to “establish the facts first”.
“The detail of what’s happening is being established as I speak by the Justice Secretary right now,” he added.
Retired sergeant – Warm weather will make Daniel Khalife ‘more comfortable’
A retired police sergeant who stars on Channel 4’s Hunted series has said Britain’s warm spell will make it more comfortable for Daniel Khalife if he is hiding “in plain sight”.
Mr Thomas, 54, who served in the police for 30 years and reached the rank of sergeant in Leicestershire, told the PA news agency: “Because you’re no longer in the Army or in the armed forces, it doesn’t mean you become untrained overnight, that experience is always with you.
“What the organisations have got against them is it’s good weather, it’s not cold at night, so even sleeping rough is not going to be uncomfortable.
“You could happily find somewhere comfortable and, as an ex-military individual, he’ll be used to sleeping outside. What will come into play more than anything else will be the individual’s resilience.”
Richmond residents receive apology after park search
To dispel some rumours that have been circulating. We were deployed to Richmond Park last night searching for escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife. Due to the size and complexity of the park this took a protracted period of time. Apologies for the noise. @MPSKingston @MPSRichmond https://t.co/hTqQaKOOUg[27][28][29]
— NPAS London (@NPASLondon) September 8, 2023[30]
11:51AM
[31]
Sadiq Khan – Daniel Khalife’s escape ‘linked to austerity’
When asked about the manhunt for terror suspect Daniel Khalife, which enters a third day after his escape from HMP Wandsworth, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said there were questions about the “link between government austerity and this man escaping.”
He told the PA news agency: “There’s a question in relation to the medium and long term about the link between government austerity and this man escaping.
“I know from my own experience, as the member of parliament previously for Tooting where Wandsworth prison is, (there are) big problems in relation to it being overcrowded and being a Victorian prison, lack of investment, lack of enough staff and those questions will need answering from the Government.”
Ex-inmate – Daniel Khalife ‘said he would be famous’
A former inmate of Daniel Khalife has said the terror suspect said “he was going to be famous”.
Chris Jones, who worked alongside Khalife in the kitchen at Wandsworth prison, said he was surprised to learn of the former soldier’s escape but also said it wasn’t a “massive shock” because of staff levels at the Category B jail.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Jones, 53, who was released in June after being acquitted following seven months on remand, said: “I wouldn’t have thought someone like him would have even bothered because he didn’t come across as some sort of hard case who wanted to get out.
But it’s not really a massive shock he got out really. The prison was constantly understaffed – there would be times we’d have to do 24 hour a day bang up for days on end.
“He did seem like an odd sausage. One lunchtime, he came in saying that he was going be famous. I told him: ‘I think you’ve got on the wrong bus, mate.’”
Chief inspector of prisons – Vehicle checks at jails ‘should be standard practice’
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons
Charlie Taylor, who heads the prison inspectorate, said it “should be standard practice” for vehicles entering and leaving the prison to be checked, reports Charles Hymas.
Prisons have two sets of gates to go through to access what is known as the “sterile” area or “airlock” for vehicles entering or leaving. Inmates are not allowed in those areas and there are “strict rules” on which gates can be opened, and both sets of gates cannot be opened at the same time.
They are staffed by at least one operational support grade (OSG) officer. Officers are required to check underneath any vehicle passing through the “airlock” using telescopic mirrors, as well as on top and inside. Standard security measures would also include CCTV surveillance footage being fed back to a control room.
Mr Taylor said: “Something obviously went wrong in terms of security, and that will come out over time. But the issue that we are particularly concerned about is there are too many prisoners in Wandsworth for the amount of staff who are there. And that ultimately is the source of many of the problems in the jail.”
Recap: How terror suspect Daniel Khalife pulled off the great escape from HMP Wandsworth
Daniel Khalife
It was just after 7am on Wednesday when a Bidfood lorry pulled up to the gates of HMP Wandsworth in south London on its regular delivery route, write Martin Evans, Patrick Sawer and Danielle Sheridan.
After completing the usual security checks, the wagon containing fresh foodstuffs passed through the two sets of gates into the so-called sterile area near the prison kitchens.
As the driver unloaded his delivery, inmates from the Victorian prison[36] were filing in and out of the canteen for the busy breakfast serving.
At the same time, one of the remand prisoners, who held a privileged chef’s position in the kitchens, slipped unnoticed past the guards and made his way towards the van.
Terrorism legislation expert – Allowing Khalife access to kitchen knives is ‘mind-boggling’
Lord Carlisle, the barrister and former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, told BBC Radio Five Live it is “mind-boggling” that Daniel Khalife was able to work in a kitchen with access to knives.
He said: “It causes concern on why the perpetrator was in that prison, whether he escaped solo or if there were state actors – possibly Iran.
“The idea that someone was judged for spying for Iran and terrorism offences was able to work in a Category B prison in the kitchen with access to knives is mind-boggling”.
Reviewing how Daniel Khalife planned his escape, Lord Carlisle added, “One of the possibilities for escape is a hostage situation and knives play into that kind of situation”.
Watch: Lorry carrying Daniel Khalife travelled almost three miles before it was stopped
The terror suspect[40] accused of spying for Iran escaped prison[41] on a lorry that travelled for nearly three miles before it was stopped, police revealed on Thursday, reports Patrick Sawer.
Daniel Abed Khalife used heavy duty straps to cling to the underside of the food delivery vehicle when it left HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday morning.
When it was stopped by police with sniffer dogs over an hour later, all officers discovered were the abandoned straps.
Chief inspector of prisons – Prisoners should earn ‘certain level of trust’ to work in kitchens
Wandsworth is among just nine prisons rated as of serious concern in Mr Taylor’s Annual Prison Performance Ratings for 2022/23, published in July.
Most of its officers have fewer than two years’ experience, meaning a lack of “prison craft,” and an absence rate of 30 per cent to 44 per cent, according to inspectors.
Mr Taylor told Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge on Sky News: “When you find a prison like Wandsworth, it really needs closing. Ultimately, it’s not a suitable prison.”
But, he added: “You need jails because you need to service the courts. We’ve actually got a crisis at the moment in prisons just in terms of population places. So there are only just enough prisons, places available, at the moment for the number of prisoners who are coming in.”
Mr Taylor said staff shortages are “the source of many problems” at HMP Wandsworth. While it is “concerning when anybody escapes from prison” and they are “now very rare”, the nature of the allegations against Khalife made this case “extremely concerning”, he added.
Mr Taylor said it “should be standard practice” for vehicles entering and leaving the prison to be checked and a prisoner has to earn a “certain level of trust” in order to be allowed to work in a kitchen.
Chief inspector of prisons – Wandsworth should be closed
The jail from which suspected terrorist Daniel Khalife escaped should be closed, says the chief inspector of prisons, reports Charles Hymas.
Charlie Taylor, who heads the prison inspectorate, said that “in an ideal world” HMP Wandsworth would be shut amid a damning series of watchdog reports lambasting its performance as a cause of “serious concern.”
Former soldier Khalife, 21, who was awaiting trial after allegedly planting a fake bomb at an RAF base and seeking to pass secrets to Iran, is believed to have escaped by strapping himself on to the bottom of a delivery lorry after leaving the prison kitchen in a cook’s uniform.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has demanded investigation reports by the end of this week into how Khalife evaded security checks, and why he was placed in a category B prison, rather than the highest category A, despite being refused bail after being labelled a flight risk.
Richmond Park searches ‘scaled back’
Dog walkers in Richmond Park on Friday
Searches in Richmond Park by police hunting terror suspect Daniel Khalife are to be scaled back, according to the BBC.
Helicopter searches were carried out overnight and officers manned entry and exit points but there is no longer much police activity at the royal park.
The BBC is reporting that the search carried out on Friday was not based on any specific intelligence, but seemed sensible given its size and its proximity to Wandsworth Prison.
The Telegraph has learned residents on the edge of the park were told to stay in their homes by officers and had their gardens searched.
Met Police Commissoner – Prison escape ‘unlikely to do on spur of moment’
Sir Mark has said the prison escape of Daniel Khalife was “clearly pre-planned” and is “extremely concerning”.
He told LBC: “It is clearly pre-planned, the fact that he could strap himself onto the bottom of the wagon.”
Sir Mark added a prison escape is “unlikely to be something you do on the spur of the moment”.
The commissioner told LBC the hunt for Khalife is a “massive operation” involving “well into three figures of officers” as well as help from forces around the country and from the border force.
“At the moment we are still really keen to get any reports from members of the public,” he added.
Met Police Commissioner – Police to examine whether prison guards helped Khalife
Sir Mark Rowley speaking to LBC
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said police will examine whether Daniel Khalife was helped to flee Wandsworth prison by its own guards in an investigation into his escape.
Sir Mark said investigators will explore the possibility Khalife was helped by fellow inmates as his break from jail was “clearly pre-planned”.
Asked if police are looking into whether Khalife’s escape was an “inside job”, Sir Mark said: “It is a question. Did anyone inside the prison help him? Other prisoners, guard staff? Was he helped by people outside the walls or was it simply all of his own creation?”
Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Sir Mark Rowley added it was “odd” Daniel Khalife was not held in a maximum security prison.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has demanded answers as to why Khalife was placed in HMP Wandsworth – a Category B jail – with the preliminary findings of an investigation expected today.
Khalife’s family ‘lived on edge on Richmond Park’
Daniel Khalife’s mother and sister are understood to have lived in a flat on the edge of Richmond Park until a few years ago, Sky News has reported.
It has been reported the fugitive has links to southwest London, where police are carrying out searches for him on Friday morning.
Sky News correspondent Milena Veselinovic said: “He grew up in the area, his mother and his sister are believed to have lived in a flat on the edge of Richmond Park until a few years ago,” she said.
Helicopters were flown above the park in the early hours as police officers manned entry and exit points.
Border checks ‘likely to continue this weekend’
The BBC is reporting that enhanced checks at Britain’s border points are likely to continue throughout the weekend as the manhunt for Daniel Khalife enters its third day.
On Thursday, Kent Police closed a section of the M20 motorway and the Port of Dover warned passengers to expect delays after an alert was issued on Wednesday following Khalife’s release.
According to the BBC, boots of cars are likely to be examined this weekend in case the fugitive attempts to stow away out of the country.
Met commissioner – Placing Khalife in Category B prison is ‘odd’
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said it is “odd” Daniel Khalife was not held in a maximum security prison.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has demanded answers as to why Khalife was placed in HMP Wandsworth – a Category B jail – with the preliminary findings of an investigation expected today.
Speaking to LBC, Sir Mark said the escape was “pre-planned” and added investigators are looking at whether Khalife received help before he fled on Wednesday.
Innocent man mistaken for Khalife
An innocent man who was mistaken for fugitive terror suspect Daniel Khalife has told how he was “lucky” after he was detained by police at a train station in Oxfordshire.
Video footage circulated on social media showed officers from Thames Valley Police appearing to arrest a man at Banbury station on Thursday after a member of the public reported he matched Khalife’s description.
However, he was quickly released after police discovered he was not the 21-year-old escapee who sparked a nationwide manhunt after fleeing Wandsworth prison on Wednesday.
Last night, a man, whose name is Horatio according to his Twitter handle, claimed he was questioned by police but released after finger scans proved his innocence.
Just wanna clarify that when it comes to situations like these that I don’t really have any stance on police. I’m neither for or against. I try not to get political. Mistakes happen, and either I was lucky that things went smoothly, or maybe privileged, or even both. I don’t know
— Horatio (@h0rtio_c) September 7, 2023[52]
He tweeted: “Hi everyone, just made this acc to explain what happened today. A woman mistook me for Daniel Khalife, and alerted the police. After about 20 mins of questions (and some gd banter) i proved I wasn’t the escapee after a finger print scan. Honeslty crazy how much this has blown up
”Just wanna clarify that when it comes to situations like these that I don’t really have any stance on police. I’m neither for or against. I try not to get political. Mistakes happen, and either I was lucky that things went smoothly, or maybe privileged, or even both. I don’t know.”
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “It was thought to be Daniel Khalife, but it wasn’t him.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that no sightings of Khalife had yet been reported and that detectives believed it was most likely he remained in the capital.
A Metropolitan Police statement said: “We are aware of a man being stopped by police in the Banbury area earlier today. We have liaised with colleagues in Thames Valley and confirmed the man in question is not Daniel Khalife.”
No signs of police activity at 8am
Telegraph reporter Steve Bird is at Richmond Park this morning but says there are no signs of police activity.
He said the southern Sheen Gate remained open with scores of cyclists and dog walkers entering and exiting the royal park.
Kingston Gate also remained open on Friday morning, with the nearby car park full of dog walkers. There was no police presence visible there either.
‘He was a trained soldier – with skills the public don’t have’
Commander Dominic Murphy, who is leading the investigation, said in a press conference on Thursday the fact Khalife had remained at large for so long was “testament to his ingenuity” and his military training.
“This was a really busy area of London and we’ve had no confirmed sightings in any of that information, which is a little unusual, and perhaps testament to Daniel Khalife’s ingenuity in his escape and some of his movements after his escape,” he said.
“It’s important that we remember that we have some of the best military in the world here in the UK and he was trained.
“He was a trained soldier – so ultimately he has skills that perhaps some sections of the public don’t have.”
Police scour Richmond Park for Daniel Khalife
Police searching for the fugitive terror suspect Daniel Khalife[56] have scoured Richmond Park, as two helicopters carried out an overhead search for the former soldier.
Officers were stationed at the park’s entry and exit points on Friday morning, as the manhunt continues for the 21-year-old who escaped Wandsworth prison on Wednesday.
The royal park is just a few miles from the Category B prison where Khalife fled in a chef’s uniform after he clung to the underside of a delivery lorry[57].
Police confirmed on Thursday that no sightings of Khalife had been reported, but detectives believe it is likely he has remained in London.
Good morning
The Telegraph is launching a live blog on the hunt for Daniel Khalife after police carried out searches of Richmond Park in the early hours of Friday morning.
Helicopters searched the royal park from the skies and officers were stationed outside entry and exit points. The manhunt for Khalife has now entered its third day.
For all the latest developments follow our live coverage.
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- ^ 8:32AM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 8:20AM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 8:18AM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ fugitive terror suspect Daniel Khalife (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ clung to the underside of a delivery lorry (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 8:18AM (www.telegraph.co.uk)