Outrage as construction worker identified as victim of terrorists

Construction worker Brendan Vaughan was named as the British national believed to have been murdered – along with six other foreigners – at the hands of captors last month. It came as Nigerian Islamist militant group Ansaru posted a video online appearing to show the bodies of some of those seized on February 16.

Mr Vaughan is understood to have been from Rothwell but had moved to Thailand, where he had started a new life with girlfriend Orasa Arpornkaew.

Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke said: “My immediate thoughts are with Mr Vaughan’s family and loved ones. This was a tragic, criminal act the like of which there is no place for in the civilised world.

“The Foreign Office is working very hard with the Nigerian authorities to try to counter this type of terrorism.

“It goes to show why we have to be involved in the international stage. There are British interests all over the world and our citizens need our protection in order to go about their daily business.”

Mr Vaughan was one of seven employees of Setraco, a Lebanese construction company with an operation in Bauchi state, kidnapped last month.

A message from Ansaru on Friday said they were killed after British warplanes were reported to have been seen in the northern Nigerian city of Bauchi.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was working with the Nigerian government to bring those behind the attack to account.

“This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms,” he said.

Tributes to Mr Vaughan on social networking sites included one from Ms Arpornkaew on Facebook. She wrote: “You’re always in my heart.”