Terrorism suspect Daniel Khalife recaptured in west London after prison escape

A former soldier who absconded from a prison kitchen in England by strapping himself to the underside of a delivery van has been recaptured.

Daniel Abed Khalife (21) was arrested in Chiswick, west London, on Saturday, having gone missing in his cook’s uniform from HMP Wandsworth in London on Wednesday morning.

The Metropolitan Police said they had arrested him just before 11am on Saturday. He is being held in police custody.

“We would like to thank the public and media for their support throughout our investigation to locate Khalife, and we will provide a further update on his arrest in due course,” the police said.

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Residents in the area had heard helicopters overhead throughout the morning. Scotland Yard had released a statement on Saturday morning and said the area of southwest London, just under five miles from the prison from which he escaped, was the focus of their search.

[ UK police have confirmed sighting of escaped terrorism suspect ]

Officers said he had changed out of the prison kitchen uniform of a white T-shirt and red and white gingham trousers, into a black baseball cap, black T-shirt and dark-coloured trousers. They added they believed he had been carrying a small bag or case.

The public had reported sightings of him in the area, the other side of the River Thames from HMP Wandsworth.

His escape sparked a major police hunt involving 150 counter-terrorism officers, with ports and airports placed on alert. Officers have also been urgently trying to establish whether he had help fleeing from the prison.

Khalife was being held at the category B prison awaiting trial for allegedly planting a fake bomb and gathering information that might be useful to terrorists or enemies of the UK. He has denied the three charges against him.

His escape provoked a furious political row with ministers criticised over cuts and staff shortages that have left potentially dangerous inmates in low-security prisons. Khalife’s presence in a category B prison when he had been charged with such serious offences also prompted concerns that other high-risk inmates might not be held in security conditions commensurate with their alleged crimes.

The chief inspector of prisons, the chair of parliament’s justice committee and the prison officers’ union, the POA, all said HMP Wandsworth was known to have staffing issues, adding to pressure on the government over Khalife’s escape, which Labour said “beggars belief”.

The ex-serviceman is also accused of a criminal offence relating to the alleged bomb hoax. It is claimed he placed “three canisters with wires on a desk in his accommodation” with the intention of inducing in another a belief this was “likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property”.

A trial date for the terrorism charges has been set for November 13th.