THE Prime Minister has defended the handling of a hostage situation involving a security guard from Llanelli, after two of the five Brits taken captive ended up dead.

Gordon Brown's words came as a spokesman for the family of the captured Llanelli dad said they had been left "deeply upset" by the grim developments.

The Llanelli man, named only as Alec — due to a Government request — and the four others were snatched by insurgents in May 2007 while working in Baghdad.

Hopes were raised last week that the hostages may be freed after an imprisoned militant was released by the US military. However the families were horrified when the corpses of two of the hostages, security guards Jason Creswell and Jason Swindlehurst, were handed over to British embassy staff on Friday.

The Prime Minister said on morning TV: "For these families I know this is a very difficult time. I spoke to Prime Minister Maliki in Iraq last night and I emphasised our determination to do everything we can to secure the release of the remaining hostages."