LIVE: Chaos and huge queues at Manchester Airport as counter-terror police hunt Daniel Abed Khalife who has escaped from prison

A national manhunt is underway after a man awaiting trial for terror and Official Secrets Act offences escaped from prison earlier today.

Counter-terror police and the Met police are searching for Daniel Abed Khalife, a 21-year-old serving member of the British Army, after he escaped from Wandsworth prison, with all airports and ports in the country understood to be on 'high alert.'

Passengers travelling through Manchester Airport are facing major delays and queues at security due to the 'national incident'. There are similar scenes at Glasgow Airport and at Heathrow.

Several travellers have reported that police and border force officers are checking the ID's of all the people who have already gone through security. Huge queues have been forming as a result.

This is a breaking incident. Live updates to follow.

A member of the British Armed Forces, Khalife is accused of carrying out a bomb hoax and eliciting information about forces personnel for purposes that could be 'useful' to a terrorist.

Airports around the UK, including Manchester, have been brought to a near standstill as police and border force officers search each passenger. The search concerns Khalife, who has escaped from HMP Wandsworth.

The 21-year-old has been on the run following his escape. He was being held ahead of a trial in relation to terrorism and Official Secrets Act offences.

He was charged on January 27 with a terror offence said to have been carried out on August 2 2021, and the bomb hoax, allegedly carried out on January 2 this year. Both offences are alleged to have taken place at RAF Stafford.

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We have a team of officers who are making extensive and urgent