THE father of student hostage Paul Wells today embarked on a journey of hope in a desperate bid to find his son.

Bob Wells was due to fly to India to search for clues and rally support for a new campaign aimed at ending the captivity of Paul and three other Westerners.

There has been no firm evidence that the hostages are still alive since August last year, a month after they were kidnapped by separatist militants while trekking in Kashmir. During the trip, Mr Wells, of Bracken Close, Blackburn, hopes to speak to ministers from both the Indian and Jammu Kashmir Governments in New Delhi.

He will then move on to the Indian summer capital of Srinigar to speak to other dignitaries before looking among the ordinary people of the trouble-torn region for clues.

His trip will coincide with a visit by Paul's girlfriend Cath Moseley, Julie Mangan, wife of Middlesbrough-based Keith Mangan and Jane Shelly, wife of American hostage Donald Hutchings.

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