On 6 September 2023, former British Army soldier Daniel Abed Khalife, who was on remand awaiting trial on terrorism charges, escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in London. The escape triggered a nationwide police search and delays at major transport hubs. Khalife is believed to have escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a food delivery lorry while working in the prison's kitchen. After three days on the run, he was captured by the Metropolitan Police in Northolt, London.

His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison in Thamesmead, southeast London, England. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds is the High Security Unit (HSU), which consists of 48 single cells. It is run by His Majesty's Prison Service. The prison has been called "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" due to the long-term detention of terrorism suspects without charge. Belmarsh is also notoriously known as "Hellmarsh" due to the fact that Belmarsh is considered the toughest prison in the UK and due to the high number of physical and authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates and by human rights activists.