Competitive alkyl radical 6-exo/7-endo cyclisation on alpha,beta-unsaturated amides derived from chiral perhydrobenzoxazines are controlled by the alkene substitution pattern. Stereocontrol leading to 7-endo regioisomers is considerably higher and allows to prepare enantiopure hexahydroazepine derivatives. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.