40 inmates moved out of Wandsworth Prison after terror suspect escapes
Around 40 inmates were moved out of Wandsworth Prison following terror suspect Daniel Khalife's escape, a minister has confirmed.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said they were taken out of the Category B prison as a probe into how Khalife got away is carried out. He added that an additional governor had been put in place as pressure piles on the Government to explain what happened.
The escape has raised questions over the prison service's resourcing and overcrowding - but Mr Chalk that correct security protocols were in place. Former prisons minister Rory Stewart said there appeared to have been "some kind of collusion" to help with the escape.
Terror suspect Daniel Khalife was re-arrested in London on Saturday (PA)
Former prisons minister Rory Stewart said there appeared to be signs of "collusion" (Leon Neal)Mr Chalk told Sky's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "Out of an abundance of caution some prisoners there, some of those on remand, have been moved (this week). Additional resources have of course gone into Wandsworth, so there's additional governor support, a former governor with particular expertise in security.
"But also, out of an abundance of caution, around 40 prisoners have been moved just while we get to the bottom of what took place in Wandsworth. That is a sensible, precautionary measure."
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He said it appears the correct security protocols were in place. Mr Chalk said: "Those protocols were in place, point one. And point two, the relevant security staff were also in place. Plainly what we've yet to establish is whether those protocols were followed."
Mr Khalife, 21, is in police custody after he was dramatically arrested on Saturday in Northolt, north west London, after four days on the run.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said proper security procedures were in place (Amer Ghazzal/REX/Shutterstock)Mr Chalk said he will set out "next week" the terms of reference of the separate independent investigation to ensure that the conclusions are "rock solid".
Terror suspect Daniel Khalife would have received some sort of "collusion and support" to aid his escape, Mr Stewart said. The ex-Tory MP added that prisons in England and Wales are "unmanageable".
Asked if he would have resigned if the escape happened during his tenure, he told Sky News: "I definitely think that it's important for ministers to take full responsibility. There are 120 prisons in England and Wales. There were escapes on my watch... for the first few days, you're just trying to work out what on earth happened - how did this happen?
"And the story changes, as you can imagine, minute by minute. You have to get on the ground in Wandsworth and talk to the governor. In this particular case, it seems clear if he had strapping underneath this vehicle, that there was some kind of collusion and support.
"But it's also clear that they seemed to spend, I don't know, half an hour/45 minutes before they even noticed he was gone from the kitchen, and he shouldn't be in the kitchen in the first place."
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