Relatives of five British hostages preparing to spend their second Christmas in Iraq said yesterday that their loved ones were more in their thoughts than ever.
A computer technician and his four bodyguards, including two Scots, were working in Iraq's Finance Ministry, outside Baghdad's Green Zone, in May last year when they were seized by 40 gunmen.
The kidnappers have since demanded the release of militants held by the US, claimed that one of the hostages - a man named Jason, who was reportedly from Aberdeen - had committed suicide, and released videos of the men.
In one of the videos, a man called Alan, also from Scotland, looked frightened and very tired when he said: "The thought of not seeing my family again just isn't doing with me at all. I would like for the British Government to please hurry, please hurry."
The IT consultant taken hostage was named as Peter Moore, but the full names and addresses of the guards have never been disclosed at the request of families and relatives who have spoken using only first names.
Yesterday, the wife of the Scot named Alan, whose name was given only as Roseleen, told the BBC: "My son hasn't seen his dad since just before his second birthday. He is now three-and-a-half. He has told people his daddy is coming home for Christmas. So that is quite sad."
When asked how she was got through each day, she said: "It is very difficult but I just need to think of Alan coming home."
Alan's sister-in-law, Caroline, said: "We as families think that we are pushing as hard on every channel that we can and knocking on as many doors as we can to make sure that this is top of the political agenda.
"Really this message is about the humanitarian impact upon the families and really to try to get a message to the men themselves at Christmas time, a really special time of year, in the Christian calendar and the Muslim calendar."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown raised the issue of the hostages again with Iraqi counterpart Nouri al Maliki on a visit to the country this month.
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