New images have emerged of terror suspect, Daniel Abed Khalife as a huge national manhunt continues into its second day.
The 21-year-old busted out of HMP Wandsworth yesterday morning (September 6) by "clinging to the bottom of a food delivery truck" wearing a chef's uniform.
New reports suggest that it is "almost certain" the former soldier didn't act alone when he strapped himself underneath the vehicle.
READ MORE: Terror suspect escaped jail by 'sneaking out of kitchen and clinging to van'
An anonymous security official told the Independent: “All the indications are that this was an orchestrated job and not an opportunistic escape. It is almost certain that he had some inside help from the prison."
The officer said all prison staff are now being interrogated about the massive security breach.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the UK's airports, ports, borders, motorways and transport hubs, with tighter security checks being carried out.
Pharmacies have even been asked to look out for anyone seeking treatment for burns.
Peter Bleksley told Sky News Khalife's escape by clinging to the underside of a delivery van should "most certainly have been stopped".
He said such vehicles should always been "searched thoroughly".
"But clinging to the bottom of a vehicle if it's got petrol or diesel combustion engine it's a pretty risky thing to do. Not only because you can lose your grip and fall onto the roadway, but exhaust systems, which generally speaking run the entire length of a vehicle like that, get incredibly hot.
"And the slightest touch of that exhaust system will leave you with a very unpleasant burn.
"So I would suggest to anybody who works in a chemist or pharmacy or shops where medical supplies are sold, just keep your eyes out today if somebody comes in asking for advice on how to treat burns and sourcing bandages or ointments and the like. Just in case that is a scenario that may have happened."
British Army intelligence officer Col Phillip Ingram told the Mirror that police have a 48-hour window to find Khalife before it potentially becomes a "long, slow slog."
He said Khalife will have gone to ground, but will not have had specialised training in escape and evade – rather just a basic annual refresher video.
He thinks the plan would be to lie low for up to a couple of months when search resources have dwindled, then make his next move.
This morning, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk was adamant the AWOL prisoner would be found and said an independent investigation has been launched.
This evening, police have confirmed that a video circulating on social media showing a man with a similar appearance to Khalife being stopped by officers in Banbury, is not him.
Khalife was awaiting trial for terrorism charges and is accused of planting fake bombs at an army base and collecting sensitive personal information about soldiers from a Ministry of Defence database.
He 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 before his arrest in January.
He was based at the Ministry of Defence’s Stafford military base while serving.
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