The North-East engineer held captive by guerrillas in Bangladesh for a month flew home last night and said: "It's an absolute relief to be back."

Tim Selby, 28, looked tired and pale as he spoke to reporters shortly after an emotional reunion with his girlfriend and family at Heathrow airport.

Mr Selby, from Jesmond, Newcastle, told a press conference there were times he never thought he would make it home alive.

He said: "The fact that we are here is due to fantastic work and effort from a lot of people - the various agencies, the Bangladeshi government, the British High Commission and the Danish embassy.

"We know a lot of people have cared and taken time to think about us and I would like to say a special thank you to the British High Commissioner and Danish Ambassador.

"I would also like to say a big thank you to my two Danish colleagues who have put up with me for a month, which is no mean feat. If we hadn't been together for that time, heaven knows what would have happened.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone else, thank God we're back on safe and friendly territory. It's what it's all about to us.

"We were treated with respect by the kidnappers. It was hard and they did the best they could for us."

Flanked by his girlfriend, Brigid Thorns, and his parents, Mr Selby said he thought at times every day that he may not make it through alive, and added he was hugely relieved when rescued by the Army.

Mr Selby was kidnapped along with Danes Torben Mikkelsen, 48, and Nils Hulgaard, 64, on February 16 in south-east Bangladesh. They had been due to work on a road project for Danish company Kampsax.

The kidnappers, who were a militant group opposed to a peace deal between the Bangladeshi government and the Shanti Bahini rebels, demanded a £1.1m ransom for the trio.

The government refused to pay and the men were rescued when Bangaldeshi commandos stormed the village of Nakashichari on Saturday.

None of the men was injured but Mr Selby spent two nights in hospital at Dhaka before being released to the British High Commission.