UK tourists seized in Columbia

A massive search is under way to rescue a group of eight tourists including two British men who were kidnapped while hiking in Colombia.

Matthew Scott, 19, who was born in London, and Mark Henderson, 31, who was born in Lincoln, were thought to be held by the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).

They were kidnapped alongside a German, a Spaniard and four Israelis on a trek to the Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City), ancient ruins in mountainous jungle in the northern region of Colombia.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "The Foreign Office are actively liaising with the Colombian authorities and embassy staff are travelling to the area today."

The group was taken while camping on Friday morning in the national park in the area of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, close to the Caribbean coast.

Government officials said the rebels initially took the tourist group's guide, but later released him and he raised the alarm.

The eight abducted people were part of a larger group of 15 tourists that had earlier split in two. The seven others were all safe.

The Ciudad Perdida, carved out on the top of mountainous jungle, can only be reached by an arduous six-day trek through overpowering jungle heat or by helicopter.

The site has around 80 circular raised stone platforms, spread over several miles and is believed to have been built by the Tayrona Indians in 500 BC.

The tourists were thought to have arrived in Santa Marta on Thursday with a view to beginning the trek to the ruins. A search made up of thousands of troops and aided by nine Black Hawk helicopters has been ordered by the Colombian Government.

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