Media asked not to share kill video

The Red Cross appealed yesterday to the Pakistani media not to broadcast footage of the murder of the British aid worker Khalil "Ken" Dale, which his killers have threatened to release.

Efforts to repatriate the 60-year-old's remains were under way, after they were discovered on the outskirts of Quetta. Sources said Dale, a health programme manager, had said that, in the event of his death, he wanted to be buried in Britain.

It is unclear how long this might take.

Sean Maguire, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which employed Dale, said every effort was made to secure his release after he was kidnapped in January.

Officials in Quetta said a note left with his corpse said: "This is the body of Khalil who we have slaughtered for not paying a ransom." It said a video of the moment Dale's throat was cut would soon be released.

Reports said that Dale was to marry an Australian nurse, Anne, later this year.

The Scotsman newspaper said Dale's parents were believed to be deceased but he had a brother, Ian, in New Zealand.

Dale, who converted to Islam more than 20 years ago, had worked as a staff nurse in the accident and emergency unit at Dumfries Infirmary before changing careers to work on oil rigs. He then switched to the aid world and served in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was made an MBE for his work.

- Independent