Police comb Richmond Park in hunt for fugitive ‘Iran spy’: Helicopters with heat-seeking cameras scour grassland for hours – amid fears ‘resilient’ ex-Brit soldier Daniel Khalife, 21, is utilizing military coaching to cover after escaping Wandsworth Jail in van

The ‘resourceful’ former soldier accused of spying for Iran who managed to flee HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday may very well be wherever within the nation and should survive on his personal for days because of his navy coaching, in keeping with a navy professional. 

Police helicopters geared up with heat-seeking cameras have been seen scouring Richmond Park for a number of hours on Thursday seeking terror suspect Daniel Khalife, 21, who managed to slide out of HMP Wandsworth in southwest London by strapping himself to a meals supply truck. 

A former prisoner who labored with the escaped suspect, who’s accused of planting faux bombs at a military base and amassing private data on troopers he was going to move to Iran, mentioned on Thursday that Khalife claimed he was ‘going to be well-known’ whereas they labored collectively. 

CCTV footage of the audacious escape emerged, exhibiting what gave the impression to be straps hanging from the supply van Khalide, described as being of slim construct, with brief brown hair and 6ft 2ins tall, used to flee. 

Khalife, a former soldier within the 22 Sign Regiment who was on remand at HMP Wandsworth forward of his six-week terror trial, during which he was accused of leaving faux bombs at a military base in Stafford, was meant to be working within the kitchens when he sneaked out and strapped himself beneath a Bidfood truck that delivered meals and provides on Wednesday.

The soldier-turned-alleged-spy served fellow inmates breakfast after which evaded guards and CCTV whereas the automobile was pushed for 250 yards alongside an inside street and out by way of HMP Wandsworth’s well-known Victorian gate in a matter of minutes.

Khalife is believed to have slipped out of 1 a number of doorways to the kitchen having mentioned he was unloading a provides van, and has nonetheless not been discovered. 

The Met mentioned he was declared lacking at 7:50 am, and the Met was notified at 8:15. 

After leaving the jail, the hijacked meals van turned left onto Magdalen Highway, earlier than it turned left onto Trinity Highway (A214) as much as the Wandsworth Roundabout and took the primary exit onto Swandon Method (A217).

Whereas separate footage confirmed the Metropolitan Police swarming the Bidfoods supply truck in southwest London, the escapee was nowhere to be seen. 

The meals van then turned left onto Outdated York Highway, previous Wandsworth City station, then left onto Fairfield Avenue, proper onto Wandsworth Excessive Avenue (A3) staying straight forward onto West Hill after which on to Higher Richmond Highway (A205).

It isn’t identified precisely the place the van went after this, or the place Khalife might have left the automobile.  

The Met says its investigation into his disappearance is targeted on London, significantly round this route, in addition to the Kingston-Upon-Thames space, the place Khalife was identified to have connections.

Regardless of mobilising greater than 150 cops, and dealing with the Border Pressure and different safety companies throughout the nation, the previous soldier nonetheless has not been discovered on the second evening of his manhunt. 

Whereas he has hyperlinks to the Kingston-upon-Thames space of London, as he grew up there, police are looking for him up and down the nation. 

In London, cops have been seen swooping in on the automobile he strapped himself to to be able to escape the Class B jail he was saved in. 

Video footage shared with MailOnline revealed that officers pulled the Bidfood van over on the Higher Richmond Highway in Putney, Southwest London at 8.37am yesterday morning, round two miles from the jail.

Officers utilizing sniffer canine spent two hours combing by way of the automobile and searching beneath it, however nothing aside from the straps he used was discovered. 

An onlooker, who took these dramatic movies, instructed MailOnline this night: ‘The police pulled up behind the van after ordering it to cease.

‘They spent just a few hours trying all over it, within the again, within the driver’s cab, beneath it and even on high of it.

‘That they had sniffer canine attempting to select up the scent of one thing, however they did not discover something of any notice.

‘I did not know what was occurring. It is solely tonight that I’ve came upon this was the truck utilized by the escaped prisoner. It is fairly surprising.’

A senior defence supply claims that terror suspect Daniel Khalife’s coaching within the British military makes him adaptable and resilient, and more durable to catch than the typical individual. 

The unnamed supply told the Telegraph: ‘We educate them initiative, command duties, downside fixing expertise. We prepare folks effectively, to be people, to adapt, overcome and improvise.

‘He is not within the infantry so does not have the identical resilience degree as an infantry soldier, however even our primary troopers are skilled to be resilient to adapt, overcome and survive in harsh and unpredictable environments.

The supply added: ‘We do one thing known as ‘survive, evade, resist and escape’, generally known as SERE coaching. It is one of many primary annual coaching occasions annually.

‘Troopers are taught find out how to escape within the wild, to construct shelters, and primary communication expertise.’

The Met Police mentioned that he was going to be laborious to catch, with the drive’s head of counterterrorism command, commander Dominic Murphy, saying at a briefing: ‘Our expertise of him exhibits that, so nothing is off the desk with him in the meanwhile.

‘This was a very busy space of London and we have had no confirmed sightings in any of that data, which is a bit of uncommon, and maybe testomony to Daniel Khalife’s ingenuity in his escape and a few of his actions after his escape.

‘It is necessary that we keep in mind that we now have a number of the finest navy on this planet right here within the UK and he was skilled.

‘He was a skilled soldier – so finally he has expertise that maybe some sections of the general public haven’t got.’

Specialists have weighed in on precisely how Khalife might have escaped.  

Former Metropolitan Police Detective, Peter Bleksley, mentioned: ‘If that is pre-planned and he’s supported by a community of fellow minded criminals then after all he might have money, shelter, change of clothes, false passport and should have already got left the nation’.

Mr Bleksley mentioned police will hope he’s working alone, as a result of it will increase the probabilities of being noticed and arrested as a result of he would in all probability need to steal clothes, break into buildings to cover or hunt by way of bins for meals.

Police helicopters have been seen circling two main London parks, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Widespread, in keeping with locals. 

Information from police helicopter trackers revealed the helicopters had been circling the parks for a number of hours. 

One onlooker mentioned: ‘There are such a lot of police concerned. It is an enormous operation – they should have cause to suppose he is perhaps in there.’

Officers have been mentioned to be holding an in depth watch on an upstairs flat in Kingston, near the sting of Richmond Park, the place Khalife’s mom and twin sister are understood to have lived till just a few years in the past.

A neighbour instructed The Day by day Telegraph: ‘A girl lived upstairs who had a son and daughter. The boy would come and go swearing loudly. She moved to Wales roughly three years in the past – a yr after we moved in.

‘The household have been British, of Center Japanese origin. They did not discuss to us or anybody else on the street very a lot that I might see.

‘It is worrying to suppose that this younger man may head again to this space after escaping from jail.’

A number of former classmates of his completely instructed MailOnline that he was a shy and awkward baby who was routinely bullied in school. 

One former classmate mentioned: ‘He was a bit awkward and acquired bullied a bit.

‘He acquired made enjoyable out of and pushed round fairly a bit.’

One other mentioned: ‘He wasn’t tremendous in style. He wasn’t tremendous into music or artwork that I do know of. He would simply hand round with pals, similar to every other teenager.

‘He was barely [more intelligent] than common, however not amazingly. 

‘I can not comprehend that it is the similar man who did every thing they’re accusing him of.’ 

A former inmate who was locked up with him in HMP Wandsworth mentioned he was an ‘odd sausage.’

Chris Jones, a 53-year-old who used to work in HMP Wandsworth’s kitchens with Khalife, instructed the BBC: ‘One lunchtime he got here in saying that he was going be well-known. I instructed him: “I believe you have acquired on the flawed bus, mate.”

‘He would come to work with a comb and mirror always checking his look, though I can not say I assumed a lot of it.’

One navy supply who knew Khalife when he was serving, described him as ‘humorous’ and ‘likeable’, however mentioned generally he might appear ‘a bit dim’.

However he added: ‘That might have been an act as he is clearly acquired sufficient nouse about him to get away from stuff. Not a typical oddball, there weren’t clear warning indicators.’

A former soldier who was pals with him whereas they have been cadets in Dorset instructed the Sun: ‘He was the primary individual in his household to enroll to the Military.

‘He was a little bit of a loner, he was an enormous gamer – cherished Name of Responsibility.

‘He was very quiet and studied lots, the highest of the category within the troop, however was additionally identified for being a little bit of a drunk and aggressive.

‘Khalife described his position on social media as being a pc specialist with expertise together with data know-how and system administration.’

Because the manhunt continues, uncomfortable questions on HMP Wandsworth and the entire prison justice system are being requested.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk demanded an pressing replace from Wandsworth’s governor and senior Jail Service bosses after the jail was positioned in lockdown.

Sources mentioned the minister obtained a run-through of ‘all safety measures which have been taken within the medium time period to make sure the jail is safe as attainable’.

There will probably be additional longer-term work on bettering Wandsworth’s safety checks, a supply added.

Labour justice spokesman Shabana Mahmood mentioned: ‘The Conservatives have to urgently clarify how they cannot do the fundamental job of holding doubtlessly harmful criminals locked up.

‘It is proper that the police are given area to recapture this suspect. However Rishi Sunak wants to make sure there isn’t any wider threat as a result of his zombie Authorities lacks grip on the prison justice system.’

HMP Wandsworth’s wardens got here below hearth for his or her alleged position within the audacious escape. 

Jail Officers Affiliation Steve Gillian instructed Occasions Radio that Wandsworth has too few perimeter checks due to cutbacks. 

He mentioned: ‘I type of suppose there’s not sufficient safety like perimeter checks and issues like which are being in the reduction of. Various things. The everyday safety. Folks don’t get sufficient time to do the safety job that they need to be doing.

‘So, for instance, the safety of a jail is foremost in my thoughts, all the time has been. However getting the time to do the fundamentals, corresponding to like a cell cloth examine, proper. As an illustration, I’ve seen that generally jail officers will rush it as a result of there’s not sufficient time within the day.

‘A material examine could be checking the locks, the bolts, the bars, the material of the cell to make sure it is not tampered with and so forth.’

He added: ‘It has been that manner for a considerable period of time, not simply at Wandsworth however throughout the nation. So Wandsworth yesterday, it may very well be one other jail tomorrow, sadly.’

High-level figures claimed the jail, one in all Britain’s oldest, must be shut down. 

The UK’s chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, outright mentioned that HMP Wandsworth must be shut down. 

He instructed Sky Information: ‘While you discover a jail like Wandsworth, it actually wants closing finally – it isn’t an acceptable jail.

‘In a great world one would, however after all you want jails as a result of that you must service the courts.

‘We have truly acquired a disaster in the meanwhile in prisons simply by way of inhabitants and locations, so there are solely simply sufficient jail locations out there in the meanwhile for the variety of prisoners who’re coming in.

‘And naturally that places an enormous pressure on the system, so in an enormous jail like Wandsworth you’re getting folks in, you’re getting them to courtroom, you’re getting them again from courtroom after which as quickly as they have been sentenced, they’re being moved onto one other jail as rapidly as attainable.

‘And it’s one thing about that churn that additionally provides to the overall problems and generally what appears like chaos in a few of these massive native prisons like Wandsworth.’  

In the meantime, UK officers have been criticised for not placing the phobia suspect in a jail with increased ranges of safety. 

Specialists have mentioned he ought to have been in Class A Belmarsh Jail in south-east London, which holds the vast majority of the UK’s terror suspects and has by no means had an escape.