TV drama postponed over Iran crisis

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Senior military figures and families of some of the captives expressed concern about the timing of the drama, which was due to be broadcast on Thursday night.

The Mark of Cain shows British troops abusing Iraqi detainees.

The decision by the broadcaster will be seen by some as a climbdown following a series of warnings about the drama.

But Channel 4 said it still did not believe that the content of The Mark of Cain would endanger the lives of the British captives.

Channel 4's commissioning editor for drama Liza Marshall has been in hourly discussions with the Foreign Office over whether to go ahead with the two-hour broadcast.

She said: "We recognise that relatives of those held captive in Iran are concerned that the broadcast of the film at this point might jeopardise negotiations for their release.

"While the channel believes this outcome is unlikely, we are anxious not to add to the extraordinary stresses and concerns they must be experiencing at this time and, in consultation with the writer and producers, we have therefore decided to delay transmission.

"Channel 4 believes The Mark of Cain is a powerful and significant drama which raises important questions about the brutalising effect of war and the difficulty of exercising moral courage within the army culture.

"We believe it is entirely legitimate for Channel 4 to explore difficult issues through drama and it is our intention to broadcast this film at the earliest appropriate moment."