First suspected sighting of Britain's most wanted: Newsagent claims fugitive ... trends now
The first suspected sighting of Britain's most wanted man has been made, after a newsagent claimed he may have seen escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife jump into a getaway car.
Fears that the former British Army soldier's escape from HMP Wandsworth was an inside job have grown today, with Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitting it was a theory detectives were looking at.
It came explosive experts were called after a 'suspicious vehicle' was stopped by police at the Channel Tunnel, where increased checks have been made following the jailbreak. The incident is not thought to be linked to Khalife's escape, however.
As police explore the possibility that the 21-year-old was aided by prison staff, reports of him having help on the outside too began to gather pace, with the Met Police urging an apparent witness to come forward.
A shop assistant reported seeing 'a tall, lanky dude with dark hair', who he later recognised as Khalife from media images, enter a black coloured vehicle outside Wandsworth Country Court.
This is roughly a two-mile, 10-minute drive west of the Victorian jail, where he escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery lorry after leaving the prison kitchen in a cook's uniform.
Daniel Khalife (pictured), a former soldier in the 22 Signal Regiment, was on remand at HMP Wandsworth ahead of his six-week terror trial
A witness believes he saw Khalife enter a car near Market Putney Newsagents, a 10-minute drive from HMP Wandsworth, where he escaped
A witness claims he say Khalife (pictured) jump in a getaway car two miles from the prison
The eyewitness, who was working at The Market - Putney Newsagents on Wednesday morning, heard a commotion outside the store, before seeing the man sprint across the street and get into a car on the other side of the road by traffic lights.
His manager 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.'
In a statement, the Met Police 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.'
The search for Khalife had earlier centred around Richmond Park, which was locked down overnight amid claims he could be using his army training to hide out there.
Until just three years ago, Khalife had lived in a £450,000 two-bed flat in Kingston, on the outskirts of the park, sharing a bedroom with his twin sister.
Two helicopters with body-heat detecting technology circled above the park in the early hours, before it was reopened to the public later this morning.
Meanwhile, pharmacies have been urged to keep a lookout following suggestions he may have suffered burns to his face during his escape.
Khalife, who served in 16 Signal Regiment, whose motto is Find A Way Or Make One, is thought to have clung to the underside of the truck by fashioning straps out of the plastic covering on his cell mattress.
Sir Mark told LBC of the escape this morning: 'It is clearly pre-planned, the fact that he could strap himself onto the bottom of the wagon.'
A police car is seen inside Richmond Park this morning as the hunt for Khalife continues
He added a prison escape is 'unlikely to be something you do on the spur of the moment'.
Asked if police are looking into whether it was an 'inside job', the commissioner 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?'
He called it 'extremely concerning' that Khalife is 'on the loose'.
Asked whether he was surprised to learn that the terror suspect was in a Category B prison, Sir Mark said it did 'seem odd' on first inspection.
The commissioner said 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.
It came as police chiefs involved in the Richmond Park search apologised to locals for the disruption.
The National Police Air Service tweeted: '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.'
Meanwhile, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said there were questions about the 'link between government austerity and this man escaping.'
He said: '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.'
Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said staff shortages at Wandsworth are 'the source of many problems' and that 'in an ideal world' the jail would be shut.
The prison's performance has been rated a 'serious concern' and watchdogs issued a string of warnings about the jail in the year before the incident.
It comes as pharmacies have been urged to keep a lookout following suggestions that the ex-British Army soldier may have suffered burns to his face during his escape.
Police patrol Richmond Park south-west London this morning following the escape of Daniel Khalife
The park was eerily quiet this morning as it reopened following a huge police search overnight
There were very few vehicles driving through Richmond Park after it reopened to the public this morning
A heavy police presence surrounding Richmond Park following the escape of Daniel Khalife
CCTV footage has shown the van which Daniel Khalife clung to in his audacious escape just 200 yards from prison, with no sign of the fugitive terror suspect underneath
Former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley told Sky News: 'Clinging to the bottom of a vehicle, if it's got a petrol or diesel combustion engine, it is a pretty risky thing to do, not only because of course you can lose your grip and fall on a roadway, but exhaust systems, which generally speaking run the entire length of a vehicle like that, get incredibly hot.
'The slightest touch of that exhaust system will leave you with a vey 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... and the like.'
Elsewhere, CCTV footage today showed the van Khalife escaped under just 200 yards from the prison, with no sign of the suspect.
Questions continue to grow over how the suspected terrorist, who is alleged to have spied for Iran, was able to flee the Category B prison, where there have long been concerns over security.
An inmate who worked with Khalife in the jail kitchen revealed how they
