Daniel Khalife, who had evaded authorities, apprehended in north-west London

Police have arrested terror suspect Daniel Khalife in north-west London following a four-day search, according to Scotland Yard. The 21-year-old former soldier was detained after being pulled off a bicycle on a canal towpath in the Northolt area, approximately 14 miles from Wandsworth prison where he had escaped from on Wednesday morning. The Metropolitan Police had been reviewing CCTV footage and conducting searches in west and south-west London with the help of a helicopter. Over 100 calls from the public were received, for which the police expressed their gratitude. Khalife is currently in police custody and is accused of attempting to spy for an enemy state, thought to be Iran, as well as obtaining information useful for committing or preparing an act of terrorism and plotting a fake bomb hoax. He had been at Wandsworth on remand pending a trial scheduled for November after being denied bail in January. Khalife's escape began in the prison kitchens where he worked, as he attached himself to the underside of a food delivery lorry. Cdr Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command, stated Khalife was arrested on suspicion of being unlawfully at large and escaping from lawful custody by a plainclothes officer who pulled him off his bicycle. Khalife had been seen emerging from underneath a lorry at Wandsworth Roundabout shortly after his escape, for which a reward of up to £20,000 had been offered for information leading to his arrest. The Metropolitan Police had been conducting "intensive search activity" in and around Chiswick, where he had been spotted. One resident reported briefly talking to Khalife, who claimed to have just left the army and was described as gentle and sweet towards her dog. Although it was initially stated that Khalife was held in the Chiswick area, it was later clarified that he was detained in Northolt. The investigation took a "different course" during an intelligence-led search in the Richmond area the previous night, resulting in multiple sightings reported by the public. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised the police and the public for their efforts in finding Khalife and announced an inquiry into the circumstances of his escape. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk promised a thorough investigation into prison security and categorization. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called for answers regarding how a prisoner charged with terror and national security offenses managed to escape in this manner. Khalife had joined the army in 2019 and went missing on January 2 after an alleged bomb hoax. He was due to face charges including preparing an act of terrorism and collecting information useful to an enemy at the Old Bailey on November 13, to which he pleaded not guilty in July.