Briton Escapes From Captors

A British tourist kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas 12 days ago has managed to escape, the Foreign Office said last night.

Matthew Scott, 19, who had been on a backpacking holiday in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern Colombia, escaped on Tuesday while he was on a forced walk through the jungle, said General Carlos Alberto Ospina.

Mr Scott, from London, was captured with another Briton and six other tourists on September 12. The group was trekking to the Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City) ancient ruins in mountainous jungle in northern Colombia.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "I can confirm that one of the British hostages is free."

Gen Ospina said Mr Scott was tired, but in good health after escaping across the mountains. He said he turned up in an Indian village where he was given food and water before coming into contact with a passing army patrol.

One villager said: "We saw the gringo walking down an inhospitable path and he asked for our help. We took him to our house to get more help and he asked us again to take him to a city. We told him to wait until the army came."

The family of Mr Scott's fellow British hostage, Mark Henderson, 31, a television producer from Harrogate, north Yorkshire, released a statement, saying: "We are delighted to hear Matthew is safe. We hope other hostages are similarly delivered and our prayers are answered."

The army has been searching for the tourists, using hundreds of troops backed by Black Hawk helicopters. "This gives us hope to continue with the operation and free them," Gen Ospina said.

Mr Scott had been staying in a cabin near the Ciudad Perdida when guerrillas broke down the doors and marched him and seven other foreigners deep into the mountains.

The largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) has denied involvement, as has the biggest rightwing paramilitary organisation, the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia.