Brother Believes Bigley is With New Captors

The brother of Ken Bigley said yesterday that he had a "gut feeling" the British hostage had been handed over to a more moderate group in Iraq.

Reports in the Kuwait newspaper al-Rai al-Aam over the weekend claimed that the fundamentalist Tawhid and Jihad group - which snatched Mr Bigley and his two American colleagues in Baghdad three weeks ago - was considering selling the 62-year-old to another militant group.

According to the newspaper the proposed new captors - said to be the same organisation that last week released two Italian women aid workers - would then demand a large cash ransom for his release.

"There's near certain information that points to the entry of an Iraqi militant group into negotiations and mediation with the Tawhid and Jihad group for the release of the British hostage," al-Rai al-Aam said, quoting "informed Islamist sources" in Iraq.

Mr Bigley's brother Paul said he had spoken to 25 people he knew in Kuwait who told him it was their belief that the story was true. "The people telling me this are decent, honourable and high-level people, so I trust their instincts.

"If it has taken place, then it can only be a positive thing. I would much rather be dealing with people talking money than ones holding a government to ransom." Mr Bigley said he had his bag packed and plane ticket ready to fly to Kuwait the moment there was a development.

Ken Bigley, originally from Liverpool, was working as a civil engineer in the Iraqi capital when he was kidnapped along with the two Americans 19 days ago after 10 gunmen in a minivan drew up at the contractors' compound.

An Islamist group under the leadership of the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi released videos showing the beheadings of the Americans, Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley. Mr Bigley was also shown pleading with Tony Blair.

Asked yesterday if it was right to pay a ransom, Paul Bigley said: "If they say they want the money they will get the money. I know it is a filthy thing to say but I want my brother back. He has had enough shit thrown at him for the last two or three weeks; he needs to come home."

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it had been unable to verify the claims that Mr Bigley had been transferred to new kidnappers, but was looking into them. The British embassy in Kuwait was also unable to confirm the reports.

Last night the government of Jordan offered its help in resolving the hostage crisis.