GOT HIM AT LAST

Escaped soldier is nabbed on bicycle in T-shirt, shorts & holding plastic bag

- BEN TURNER and ZAHRA KHALIQ

TERROR suspect Daniel Khalife was back behind bars last night as it was revealed he had boasted about his breakout plans.

A fellow inmate said Khalife made no secret of his intention to flee, saying in front of prison officers: "Just watch me."

He was captured yesterday at 10.41am by a lone police officer who pulled Khalife off a bicycle on a canal towpath in Northolt, north west London.

The escaped prisoner was clutching his belongings in a Waitrose carrier bag and smiled as he was handcuffed with a cable tie, a witness said.

Within minutes police in a dozen vehicles had descended on the scene.

Sources said an SAS team had been summoned from their Hereford HQ to barracks in Richmond to track former soldier Khalife, 21. He escaped from HMP Wandsworth, South London, on Wednesday.

When caught he was wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts.

Student Ethan Andrews, 20, stumbled across the drama. He said: "I was crossing over the bridge and saw this man with cable ties around his hands.

"One of the cops said, 'We're undercover officers. The guy had been on a bike and had a sleeping bag - he seemed to have a change of clothes. The three officers had him on the floor and then five minutes later there were loads more police on the scene."

Khalife had been held on remand in Wandsworth accused of terror and spying offences.

The inmate who served time alongside Khalife told us: "He always used to brag about escaping from prison. He used to say, 'Just watch me!'