THE body of a hostage who was kidnapped in Iraq five years ago is to be returned to Scotland after an apology from his captors.
Alan McMenemy, a secur-ity guard from Glasgow, was snatched by gunmen along with three other guards and an IT expert they were protecting in 2007.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was working with the Iraqi authorities to bring the "horrendous ordeal" to a close.
The bodyguards' protection target, Peter Moore, was released alive in December 2009, and the bodies of the three other guards were returned to Britain.
Last night Mr Moore said: "It's obviously going to bring closure to the whole hostage situation of Iraq, in terms of the British side."
Alec MacLachlan, 30, from Llanelli, South Wales, Jason Swindlehurst, 38, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Jason Creswell, 39, also from Glasgow, were abducted with 36-year-old computer expert Mr Moore and Mr McMenemy, who was 34 at the time of the kidnap. They were snatched by militants posing as police at the Iraqi finance ministry.
The bodies of the three guards were passed to British authorities in Iraq in 2009.
Mr Moore was released alive on December 30 the same year, 946 days after he was kidnapped.
The Foreign Office said: "We are aware of reports [Iraq Shi'ite militia] Asaib Ahel al Haq say they are prepared to return the body of Alan McMenemy, missing in Iraq since 2007.
"The uncertainty over Alan's fate has been a source of great distress for his family.
"It has been a horrendous ordeal for everyone involved."
Speaking in 2010, Mr McMenemy's father Dennis said he was still hoping his son was alive after reports at that time. He said: "The only thing I want to believe is that he is still alive."
Qais al Khazali, leader of the Iraq Shi'ite militia Asaib al Haq, or League of the Righteous, said: "The brothers told me that those four bodyguards tried to escape ... they took advantage of a negligent moment and took the weapon of one of their guards and the clash ensued and led to this result. We honestly are sorry for that incident.
"Peter Moore was in another place. They knew how important he was and they were expecting a raid or something else.
"In addition to that, Peter was a civilian and they knew that it was un-expected that he would be any kind of risk.
"But the confrontation happened with the four guards and led to all of them being killed."
A source working with the hostages' families said: "The fact this statement has been made from the leadership of the group means that it must be taken seriously and we remain of course very eager to see the return of Alan to the UK."
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