(13 Aug 2004)

1. Exterior of Diafa Hotel where British journalist stayed
2. Iraqi police officer entering hotel
3. Police officer speaking to person in charge of hotel
4. Bloodstain on steps of stairs inside hotel
5. Police officer searching victim's room
6. Steps stained with blood
7. Various shots of stairs
8. Police officer writing down information about victim

STORYLINE:

A British journalist was abducted from his hotel in the southern city of Basra, Iraqi police said on Friday.

About 30 gunmen, including some dressed as police, stormed the Diafa Hotel in Basra on Thursday, said Captain Hashem Abdullah.

Hotel staff showed a check-in form filled in by the man, identifying himself as James Brandon, 23, a journalist for The Sunday Telegraph.

Hotel owner Mohammed Uglah said gunmen found Brandon and shot at him after he tried to escape, hitting him across the head before taking him away.

He'd earlier said that the journalist was shot twice in the leg.

Witnesses later told APTN conflicting reports on Friday and said two Iraqi's dressed as policemen kidnapped Brandon around 11.15pm on Thursday night (19:15 GMT).

They said the two men dragged Brandon down the hotel stairs before forcing him into a pick-up truck.

Witnesses said the kidnappers were met outside the hotel by six Iraqi's dressed in civilian clothes, who were driving a KIA minibus.

Brandon's kidnappers took a freelance cameraman to an undisclosed location on Friday morning to film their British hostage.

In the video, the journalist, barechested and with a bandage on his head, identified himself as James Brandon, 23, a reporter for The Sunday Telegraph.

A masked captor demanded "the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the holy city of Najaf in 24 hours, otherwise we will kill this British hostage."

In Britain, the Sunday Telegraph was pursuing reports that Brandon, who had written stories for the paper, had been taken hostage.

Sunday Telegraph Deputy Editor Matthew d'Ancona said: "James Brandon was in Basra filing material for this Sunday's newspaper amongst other projects."

D'Ancona said: "We are pursuing his situation with the greatest concern."

He could not confirm that Brandon had been abducted.

The British Foreign Office said it had unconfirmed reports that a British national had been kidnapped in Basra.

The department said: "We're trying to establish the facts and are working with the local authorities and trying to contact next of kin."

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