British hostages returned from Iraq 'shot dead'
Two British men held hostage for two years in Iraq were shot dead, reports claim
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Tuesday, 30, Jun 2009 08:45
Two British men whose bodies were recently flown home from Iraq after being held hostage for two years had been shot, reports claim.
The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, from Skelmersdale, and Jason Creswell, from Glasgow, were flown from Baghdad last week and a coroner is now said to have concluded both men were shot dead.
The pair were among a four-strong contingent of bodyguards assigned to protect IT consultant Peter Moore when 40 or so gunmen wearing police uniforms bundled them into a van in broad daylight in May 2007.
The Shia Muslim group which had held them hostage had previously claimed Mr Swindlehurst had committed suicide, a claim refuted by his family.
Earlier this month, the bodies of both men were handed over to British officials in Iraq, with reports suggesting they had been dead for some time before their bodies were handed over.
The Foreign Office has not confirmed the cause of death of the men today, instead claiming it is an "ongoing matter" for the coroner.