A former British soldier whose audacious escape from a London prison spurred a days-long search was convicted on Thursday of passing on sensitive information to the Iranian intelligence service.

A jury has found former soldier Daniel Khalife, who escaped from prison by clinging to the underside of a delivery van, guilty of spying for Iran.

The jury convicted Khalife, 23, of breaching the Official Secrets Act and Terrorism Act, after 23 hours of deliberation

Former soldier Daniel Khalife, who escaped from prison by clinging to the underside of a delivery van, loves Britain but “doesn’t live in reality” his family have said.

Daniel Khalife claimed he was attempting to work as a double agent to help British security agencies.