Reports that British hostage Ken Bigley has been executed have now been confirmed by Mr Bigley's family.

This lunchtime reports via Abu Dhabi Television claimed that Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's millitant group had killed the 62-year-old Liverpool born engineer.

Phillip Bigley, Ken Bigley's younger brother said there was ''absolute proof'' that the 62-year-old engineer had been murdered in Iraq.

He said the family in Liverpool believed the Government had done all it could ''to secure the release of Ken''.

And he added: ''It could be that the fate of Ken, and fellow hostages Eugene and Jack, was sealed from day one.''