Police hunting terror suspect Daniel Khalife swoop in on lookalike at UK station

07 September 2023 , 19:52

555     0

Police swooped on a man at Banury Station in Oxfordshire earlier today, but they had the wrong man (Image: SWNS)

This is the moment police thought they had arrested wanted man Daniel Khalife.

Officers swooped on the man at Banbury station in Oxfordshire earlier today, in a hunt for Khalife, who has fled Wandsworth prison. But it's understood the man was arrested then de-arrested when officers established he was not the terror suspect. Train passenger Oliver, in his 20s, was left waiting outside the station while the incident took place. When the train then pulled into the station, he was able to snap a clear picture.

Oliver said: "We went through Banbury on the way to Basingstoke. Just before we got there, they said on the tannoy that we couldn't go to Banbury and they're delaying train as they think there's an escaped terrorist at station. It was a 15-minute wait - when we pulled into the station he was right outside my window - it looked like him a lot.

"When we were waiting at Banbury I was a bit worried at first, I was thinking a lot of things - is he on the track, is he trying to get on the train, what's going to happen. It was a bit daunting at first but I'm glad they told us correct info because sometimes they withhold it."

Thames Valley Police said: "Officers dealt with a possible sighting of a wanted male at Banbury Train Station this afternoon. It was not the person we were looking for and the incident has been stood down. Thank you for your support at the time."

Abandoned prison which caged dangerous cartel killers found by urban explorer

The Metropolitan police said in a statement: "We are aware of a man being stopped by police in the Banbury area earlier today. We have liaised with colleagues in Thames Valley and confirmed the man in question is not Daniel Khalife."

Police have not ruled out the possibility that the suspected terrorist on the run could have fled the country - but said they do believe he is still in London.

Daniel Abed Khalife escaped from HMP Wandsworth, in south London, yesterday morning strapped to the bottom of a food delivery van. The 21-year-old had been discharged from the army in May of this year after allegedly planting three fake bombs at an RAF base, and gathering information that could be useful to a terrorist.

Khalife has denied all three charges against him. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown, steel toe-cap boots, the Metropolitan Police said, and is slim and 6ft 2in, with short brown hair.

But in an update this afternoon, Met Police counter terror chief Dominic Murphy said it was “absolutely possible” that he had already left the country, but that officers believe he remains somewhere in the capital.

Ryan Fahey