HMP Wandsworth: Prison told to make changes after alleged escape

Prison staff and justice officials have been told to make urgent changes after a terror suspect allegedly escaped from a south-west London jail.

Daniel Khalife is accused of escaping HMP Wandsworth in September, which he denies.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk had ordered an investigation into the alleged incident, which he told MPs had now concluded.

He said the recommended changes must be made "as a matter of priority".

In his statement to Parliament, Mr Chalk said it would "not be appropriate" to detail the findings of the investigation as criminal proceedings were ongoing.

But, he added: "I am committed to sharing what further information I can when the criminal proceedings conclude."

Keith Bristow, the former director general of the National Crime Agency between 2011 and 2016 and ex-chief constable of Warwickshire Police, was appointed to lead the investigation.

Mr Chalk said he asked Mr Bristow to consider what procedures were in place at the jail and if staffing was "sufficient".

His findings could be implemented at HMP Wandsworth and across the rest of the prison estate if required.

Mr Chalk said he and the government were taking the findings of the probe "extremely seriously".

He added that he was "committed to minimising the likelihood of any such incident occurring in the future".

Mr Chalk said prison escapes were "extremely rare" with just 16 recorded in England and Wales between April 2010 and March 2023, compared with 146 escapes from jails between April 1997 and March 2010.

But, he added: "It is vital for both public protection and confidence in the criminal justice system that our prisons are secure."

Mr Khalife, a former soldier, is accused of escaping from the prison while facing prosecution for passing sensitive information to Iranian intelligence.

He denies all charges against him and is due to stand trial in October.

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