FREED British hostage Peter Moore has paid tribute to Llanelli bodyguard Alec MacLachlan.

The 36-year-old IT expert said it was thanks to Alec and his colleagues that he had survived the hellish two-and-a-half year ordeal.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his release, Mr Moore said: "I'm very grateful to Jason, Jason, Alec and Alan for the help and advice and the medical treatment I received following my abduction.

"Certainly without that help and advice, I definitely wouldn't be stood here today."

Mr Moore, from Lincoln, was seized along with Mr MacLachlan and three other bodyguards, by militants posing as police at the Iraqi finance ministry in May 2007.

Despite protracted behind-the-scenes negotiations, the government failed to save the bodyguards and the bodies of Mr MacLachlan Jason Swindlehurst and Jason Creswell were passed to UK authorities last year.

A fourth bodyguard, Alan McMenemy, is also believed to have been killed but so far his body has not been returned.

Mr Moore was released on December 30, 946 days after he was kidnapped.

Since returning home, he revealed, he has lit four candles at Lincoln Cathedral for his fellow hostages.

He has also called for the remaining body to be released.

"There's still one body left and obviously I ask that that body is released immediately," he said.

"As far as I can see there's no reason to keep that."

Mr Moore went on to talk of being beaten, shackled and subjected to mock executions after he was seized in Iraq.

"In 2007 it was pretty harsh. We were in chains, shackled, blindfolded, handcuffed, periodically beaten, water poured over us," he said.

He added he often thought he was not going to make it out alive.

"One time the guards came in, handcuffed me behind my back, blindfolded me, walked me out, put a pistol to my head and pulled the trigger, and fired another one off behind my back," he said.

"I just thought I was dead. And then I realised I could still hear laughing, I was still handcuffed and that wasn't the case."

He continued: "In 2008 things got better. I was separated off from the others.

"In 2009 things were actually pretty good. Things improved a lot. I was out of the chains.

"I had a PlayStation and satellite TV, a laptop computer, en suite shower, toilet facilities.

"And ultimately I got released, so that was excellent."

Asked about his release, he said: "I didn't believe them when they first said I was being released and then I thought I was really going to go and be executed.

"The first time I really believed I was being released was when I stepped out of the vehicle and somebody from the Foreign Office walked up to me and said they were from the Foreign Office and they were there to take me home."

Describing how he coped in captivity he said: "I used to pretend that I wasn't there. I used to close my eyes and think I was walking the dog for some reason and I used to think I was riding a motorcycle and hiking over the hills and things like that."

geraint.thomas@swwmedia.co.uk