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Hostage 'death video' investigated David Haines's 'evil murder' condemned by PM
(35 minutes later)
The Foreign Office has said it is "working urgently to verify" video purporting to show beheading of British hostage David Haines. The murder of David Haines was an "act of pure evil", David Cameron has said after the release of a video purporting to show the UK hostage's beheading.
The aid worker, 44, from Perth, was kidnapped last year while delivering aid in Syria. The Foreign Office said it was "working urgently to verify" the video and was offering support to Mr Haines's family.
IS militants have already beheaded two US journalists, releasing videos after the killings. The aid worker, 44, from Perth, was kidnapped last year in Syria.
The Foreign Office said Mr Haines's family had been informed. Islamic State (IS) militants have already beheaded two US journalists and threatened to kill Mr Haines if US air strikes in Iraq were not halted.
Mr Cameron said the murder of an innocent aid worker was "despicable and appalling".
"It is an act of pure evil. My heart goes out to the family of David Haines who have shown extraordinary courage and fortitude throughout this ordeal.
"We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes," he added.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister would chair an emergency Cobra committee meeting later.
Mr Haines, a father-of-two, was taken hostage in the village of Atmeh, in the Idlib province of Syria, in March 2013.
He had been helping French agency Acted deliver humanitarian aid, having previously helped local people in Libya and South Sudan.
American journalists
The release of the video comes hours after his family had made a direct appeal to IS to contact them on Friday.
The family statement, which was released by the UK Foreign Office and addressed the militants directly, said: "We are the family of David Haines.
"We have sent messages to you to which we have not received a reply. We are asking those holding David to make contact with us."
IS has seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a new caliphate - or Islamic state - and killed the two US hostages in recent weeks, posting video evidence on the internet.
The threat to kill Mr Haines was made during a video posted online showing the killing of US journalist Steven Sotloff earlier this month.
The extremist group also killed fellow US journalist, James Foley, last month.