Hostages' families mark anniversary

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The men, who were working as civilian contractors, were seized by armed militants at the Iraqi Ministry of Finance in Baghdad on May 29 last year. Negotiations for their release are ongoing but their relatives have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has stressed that sensitive discussions are going on behind the scenes.

But this month the father of one of the captives accused the FCO of not keeping the families fully informed.

The father, identified only as Dennis, told the Times: "I just feel there's not enough happening and I would like to see more done about it because it's my son out there."

One of the hostages has been named as IT consultant Peter Moore, from Lincoln, who was working for BearingPoint, an American management consultancy.

The other four men, who were employed by Canadian security firm GardaWorld to guard Mr Moore, have not been officially identified but it is believed two are Scottish and two Welsh.

Their families have made a number of emotional appeals to the kidnappers for the hostages' release.

The most recent message was issued on March 7 through Mr Moore's stepmother, Pauline Sweeney.

She said: "In no way are we or our loved ones politically involved. Neither do we have any influence at all over the British or American governments. We are simply families who want our loved ones home again."