MI6

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says the UK is unable to send SAS troops to free Henning as MI6 ‘don’t know where he is’:

If we knew where he was we would be able to look at all sorts of options. We have considered every possible option to support these kidnap victims, both British and others. If we knew where they were it would be a different story. We are doing everything we can to protect him but they understand the limitations of our abilities and that we are dealing with a very barbaric organisation whose values are completely different from ours.

He extends sympathy to Henning’s wife and two teenage daughters, who live in Eccles, Salford:

We understand Mr Henning’s family are going through hell.