This blog is closed. Here’s a summary of today’s main developments:
Daniel Khalife was arrested by plain-clothes police at 10.41am this morning while cycling a bike along a towpath near Northolt, north-west London.
Police paid tribute to the public and the media for the “substantial role” they played in Khalife’s capture and said they will now pivot their resources to investigating his escape in order to find anyone who assisted him.
Commander Dominic Murphy, the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism chief, told reporters: “If we identify anybody who helped and supported him we will be looking for them and ensuring that they also face justice.”
Labour is demanding answers from the government about “how on earth” a prisoner charged with terror and national security offences could have escaped from prison.
Thanks for following along with me, Donna Ferguson.
Updated
On social media, posters poked fun at the news that, despite all his military training, Khalife was captured so quickly. Others found it amusing that he was arrested while taking a sunny bike ride along the Thames after his dramatic escape from jail.
One person compared his attempt to evade police to Mr Blobby walking into a room:
'He's trained in espionage and survival, the police will never get him.'
— Stephen Graham 🇺🇦 (@StephenCVGraham) September 9, 2023
Daniel Khalife in Chiswick: pic.twitter.com/AJh8LlhRLs
Another suggested Khalife’s attempt to hide from police was comparable to a very poor attempt to hide behind a tree:
“he’s military trained in espionage and survival, he won’t even be in the country by now”
— three steaks pam (@alexandrakuri) September 9, 2023
daniel khalife: pic.twitter.com/xokN3WF6Cs
One poster poked fun at the idea of Khalife attempting to evade capture in a leafy area of west London:
Apparently locals became suspicious when they saw a man, now identified as Daniel Khalife, walking through Chiswick House gardens without a Labradoodle. pic.twitter.com/IsfTiNYdM2
— Alastair Hilton (@London_W4) September 9, 2023
Another suggested that escaping from Wandsworth and getting as far as Chiswick was less than impressive:
Daniel khalife only making it to Chiswick in 4 days, is like telling your parents you're running away and then sitting in the garden pic.twitter.com/Uxjd0nBedx
— Jamie Simmonds (@Simmo97x) September 9, 2023
Broadcaster Anneka Rice tweeted that she now feels better about her attempt to evade capture on the TV show Celebrity Hunted:
Blimey … if ex-soldier Khalife only lasted 4 days, I feel my time on Celebrity Hunted wasn’t so shit. At least I got a suntan and a boat trip with Dire Straits. Hanging around in Chiswick is disappointing with all that military training. ..
— Anneka Rice (@AnnekaRice) September 9, 2023
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