The widow of murdered hostage Alan McMenemy said she will now be able to grieve properly for her husband after his body was finally handed back to the British authorities, some 1700 days after he was kidnapped in Iraq.

Alan McMenemy, 34, from Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, was one of four British bodyguards seized during an ambush at a government building in Bagdad in May 2007.

Their protection target, IT consultant Peter Moore, was also kidnapped but lived through the ordeal which saw the men blindfolded, tortured and subjected to frequent mock executions at the hands of their captors.

The return of Mr McMenemy's body comes more than two years after Mr Moore and the remains of his colleagues were released by the militia.

Roseleen McMenemy spoke last night of the "terrible uncertainty and distress" she and her family has endured.

She said: "Our families have suffered terrible uncertainty and distress over the past four years and eight months. We have worried about Alan every single minute of each waking day.

"We now know that we will shortly have Alan home again, this will allow us to properly grieve for him and we will draw some comfort from the fact that we have him home at last.

"I would like to thank my wider family, all our friends, colleagues, the many organisations and others too numerous to name who have stood with us over this most difficult of times. Without their support we would not have made it through these dark days.

"I would respectfully ask that we as a family are allowed the space and time to grieve in our own way, and if at all possible to attempt to return to some form of normal life."

Mr McMenemy, a father of one who was 34 at the time he disappeared, Glasgow-born Jason Cresswell, 39, latterly of Portlethen, Aberdeenshire, Alec MacLachlan, 30, from south Wales and Jason Swindlehurst, 38, from Lancashire, were abducted with Mr Moore, of Lincoln, as they escorted him to the Iraqi finance ministry where he was installing a new payroll system.

Around 50 to 100 men dressed in police uniforms ambushed the building, blindfolding the men and bundling them into a vehicle.

The group were moved every few months to different locations with the security men, all who had had military training, believing they were in Basra at one point given the sound of a particular type of artillery in the air.

A film shot by the kidnappers depicted Mr McMenemy in a withdrawn state as he spoke of his psychological turmoil over his captivity.

Mr Moore, whose freedom was secured by the release from US custody of Militia leader Qais al-Khazali, developed a bond Mr with Mr McMenemy as they latterly shared a cell.

Mr Moore claimed Mr McMenemy and his security colleagues were killed in an escape attempt by the kidnappers, the League of Righteous.

An inquest held last year returned a verdict of unlawful killing into the three other hostages, with the coroner rejecting claims they died trying to flee their captors, given their injuries and the fact that two of the bodies were returned bound at the ankles and wrists.

Last night Prime Minister David Cameron said of Mr McMenemy's family: "They have waited so long for his return and I hope that this will allow them to find some peace after an ordeal that no family should ever have to suffer.

"At this time we should also take time to remember the families of Margaret Hassan and Ken Bigley who are still waiting for the return of their loved ones."

Ms Hassan, was abducted and shot dead in Baghdad in 2004 and Mr Bigley, an engineer, was beheaded the same year.