Fears grow for Scots hostage after body is passed to embassy in Iraqi

Published on Wednesday 2 September 2009 21:47

THE body of a man believed to be a Briton taken hostage two years ago has been passed to authorities in Iraq, it was announced last night.

A Downing Street spokesman said inquiries were under way to confirm the identity of the body, which was passed to the British Embassy in Baghdad.

One line of inquiry will be if the body is that of Glasgow-born security guard Alan McMenemy, who was seized while working in Iraq.

"A process is now under way to urgently establish identity," the spokesman said. "The Prime Minister is in close touch with the Iraqi prime minister about this case.

"He will leave no stone unturned in the government's efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

"The Prime Minister's thoughts are with their families at this extremely difficult time."

Mr McMenemy was one of five Britons – IT consultant Peter Moore and his four bodyguards – taken by about 40 armed men wearing police uniforms at the finance ministry in Baghdad on 29 May 2007.

The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, 38, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Jason Creswell, 39, originally from Glasgow, were handed over to Baghdad officials in June.

The families of security guards Mr McMenemy and Alec MacLachlan, from Llanelli, South Wales, were told by the Foreign Office in July that their loved ones were "very likely" to have died.

In a statement, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said last night that it was not yet possible to "definitively confirm" either that the body was a hostage or which one it was. Mr Moore is believed to still be alive.

But Mr Miliband said: "We are in close touch and informed the families of all five hostages of these developments earlier this afternoon.

"It is particularly distressing for them again to hear bad news, without final confirmation, that one of their loved ones has died."

Mr Miliband said the government remained in "close contact" with those in Iraq who may be able to help secure the release of the hostages.

He insisted however, that the policy of refusing to make concessions to hostage takers, despite being "sometimes agonising", was right.

He added: "I renew my call, on behalf of the British government and the British people, to those holding the hostages to return them to their loved ones."

Mr Miliband said he would make a further announcement "in due course" once formal identification of the body had been made and the families of all the hostages had been informed of the conclusions.

A spokesman for GardaWorld, which employed four of the men, said: "We're continuing to try to do everything that we can, working with all of the authorities involved for the recovery of these individuals."

Tory leader David Cameron said of the announcement: "I am very sad to hear that a body passed to the authorities in Iraq is believed to be that of a British hostage.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those kidnapped."