Eighty prison officers did not to turn up for their shifts at Wandsworth prison on the day Daniel Khalife escaped, leaving just 60% of posts filled, it has emerged. The revelation came as the government announced that a former director general of the National Crime Agency has been appointed to investigate the incident. The government insisted staffing was not a factor in Khalife’s breakout from HMP Wandsworth on 6 September, with Damian Hinds, a justice minister, saying it was above safe levels that day. Hinds has now said 80 prison officers “did not attend their expected shift at the prison that day” while 125 were on duty, equating to 61% attendance. “Overall, staffing levels were above the minimum staffing level required by the prison’s regime management plan to deliver a safe and decent regime,” Hinds said. “All staff in both the kitchen and the gatehouse were on duty on 6 September. An initial investigation into Daniel Khalife’s escape did not find the staffing level to be a contributing factor.” The information was released in answer to a question asked by Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting in south London, which includes HMP Wandsworth. Allin-Khan said: “I’ve had concerns for many months about staffing levels at Wandsworth prison. Today, it’s revealed that on the day Daniel Khalife escaped they were 80 prison officers short. This sits with the government. Their under-resourcing of the prison service has caused this.” Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said on Friday in response to the staffing figures that it was “important not to take a snapshot of a single day and draw wider assumptions”. He said staffing levels were above the requirements set by the prisons but the government did recognise more prison staff were needed. “In the 12 months ending 30 June, there was an increase of 700 full-time equivalent prison officers. We’re increasing pay and we’re increasing retention, and we had 4,000 more prison officers in March than in 2017.” Khalife, 21, was remanded in custody at Westminster magistrates court on Monday after escaping from HMP Wandsworth by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery vehicle. The government announced on Friday that Keith Bristow had been appointed to lead an inquiry into the prison escape. Keith Bristow QPM served as the first head of the agency from 2011 to 2016, after spending five years as the chief constable of Warwickshire police. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the inquiry would seek to identify shortcomings and ensure lessons were learned to help prevent similar incidents happening in future. The MoJ has been approached for comment on the prison’s staffing levels on 6 September. The Telegraph reported this week that the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, raised concerns over “extremely worrying” conditions and staff problems at Wandsworth prison months before the escape. The claims were made by a constituent who had been on remand there for eight months. The MoJ and the prison have responded to Hunt, with the prison saying it aims to provide the best regime possible for inmates.