A TEAM of British forensic experts have flown to India to examine a body local police claim is Blackburn hostage Paul Wells.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are to carry out tests on the body as part of an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Paul and fellow hostage Keith Mangan in 1995.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Following the examination of the Indian forensic report by British experts a small team of officers have gone to India to pursue enquiries into the kidnapping of Paul Wells and Keith Mangan in Kashmir, 1995.

"As this is an ongoing investigation the MPS are following their normal practice of not commenting on the nature or details of the enquiries being made but are keeping the families fully informed.

"They will, of course, notify them first of any developments but until or unless there are any significant developments we would advise against any form of speculation which not only causes distress to those involved but can hinder the investigation."

Indian police have said DNA tests on the body, which was exhumed three years ago, have confirmed that it is Paul but tests carried out by British experts on dental remains provided by the authority revealed it was not.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.