Ken Bigley

Prayers have been said for the family of murdered Briton Ken Bigley.

Tributes were paid in his home city of Liverpool and around the country following confirmation that the engineer had been killed after what is thought to have been a failed bid for freedom.

A video showing British hostage Ken Bigley being beheaded was released on Friday by the militants who had held him.

His body was later recovered from Latifya, 35 miles south of Baghdad.

It is thought that he escaped his kidnappers, perhaps aided by one of those holding him, but was recaptured and executed within half an hour.

Blair's reaction

Tony Blair led tributes to the 62-year-old British engineer.

Speaking from Chequers the prime minister said: "I feel utter revulsion at the people who did this, not just at the barbaric nature of the killing but the way, frankly, they have played with him over the past few weeks."

"And I feel a strong sense, as I hope others do, that the actions of these people, whether in Iraq or elsewhere, should not prevail over people like Ken Bigley, who only wanted to make Iraq and the world a better place."

His words were echoed by Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy.

"To those who committed this atrocious and despicable act our message is: We shall never give in to blackmail from terrorists," said Howard.

"Ken Bigley's murder is simply horrific. This is just senseless and mindless brutality," added Kennedy.

Family

The 62-year-old engineer had been kidnapped with two American colleagues who were also murdered.

Bigley's close family said the government had done all it could to save his life.

"How we all as individuals handle crisis situations differ from person to person, family member to family member," said brother Philip.

"It is important to be considerate of one another's view and actions.

"In that respect, the family here in Liverpool believe our government did everything it possibly could to secure the release of Ken in this impossible situation."

But the news provoked anger from another of Ken Bigley's brothers, Paul, who accused Tony Blair of having "blood on his hands".

Before the videotaped murder, the killers said they planned to carry out "the sentence of execution against this hostage" because the British government "did not meet our demand" to release Iraqi women detained by US-led forces in Iraq.

The prime minister and the foreign secretary had worked to secure Bigley's release but refused to bow to demands for the release of Iraqi prisoners.

Hopes dashed

The two American hostages who had been seized along with Bigley were killed over a fortnight ago.

His family's hopes were raised by reports that the captors wanted to release the Briton alive.

Representatives of the British Muslim Council were despatched to Iraq to negotiate his release and appeals were made by a series of figures including Libyan chief Colonel

Gaddafi

His capture overshadowed the Labour conference and his death comes just days after the foreign secretary visited Iraq.

Straw had assured journalists that everything that could be done to aid his release was being carried out.

But Britain rejected calls to yield to demands for the release of women prisoners and dismissed calls for a ransom payment to be made to the group holding Bigley.