A nationwide manhunt has been launched for 21-year-old former soldier Daniel Abed Khalife who escaped from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday morning.

Despite airports facing delays yesterday due to major security searches put in place by Border Force, two airports today told Newsquest it was “business as usual”.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, confirmed all police forces and UK border points have been put on notice.

Met Police appeals to the public to locate escaped prisoner Daniel Abed Khalife

Contrary to reports queues and delays are building at UK airports as a result, it appears that this is not the case.

After an approach for comment, Gatwick Airport said: “There are no queues or delays for passengers passing through Gatwick today as a result of the enhanced security.”

Manchester Airport said similarly: “It’s business as usual for us today – passengers shouldn’t expect significant queues as although there is an increased security presence in our airport and others, the scale of the added checks isn’t the same as yesterday for obvious reasons.

“We aren’t expecting disruption today because what would cause disruption is lots of people arriving early because they’re expecting disruption.”

Liverpool John Lennon Airport commented: “Business as usual for us too.”

Following the escape of Khalife, Commander Murphy said: “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent enquiries in order to locate and detain Khalife as quickly as possible.

“However, the public can help us as well and should anyone see Khalife, or have any information as to where he might be, then please call 999 immediately.

“I also want to reassure the public that we have no information which indicates, nor any reason to believe that Khalife poses a threat to the wider public, but our advice if you do see him is not to approach him and call 999 straight away.”

Khalife, of Beaconside, Stafford, is accused of attempting to “elicit information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”, at Beaconside, Stafford, on August 2, 2021.


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