Fears over kidnap Britons

Fears are growing today for the safety of two British men kidnapped by suspected rebels in Colombia.

The Britons are among eight tourists who were ambushed on Friday night in the junglecovered Sierra Nevada mountains.

The group was trekking to an archaeological site known as the Ciudad Perdida, or Lost City. The others in the group are four Israelis, a German and a Spaniard. The Colombian newspaper El Heraldo reported that the kidnapped Britons were Nathan Scott and a Mr Henderson.

The Lost City ruins can be reached only by a six-day trek or by helicopter.

British Embassy spokesman Alfonso Morales said: "There was a group of people abducted on Friday morning. Among that group were the Britons. Consular officials will be travelling there this morning."

He would not discuss the identity of the pair, whether their next of kin had been informed or who officials believed was responsible.

A massive police and army search unit of more than 1,500 men, aided by nine Black Hawk helicopters, was under way.

"The security forces are already fully deployed, troops and helicopters," said Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, who has tried to convince the US government to lift warnings against travelling to his country.

The kidnappers are likely to be members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, which is believed to be responsible for most of the 3,000 kidnappings every year in Colombia. Farc rebels, who have been waging a guerrilla war for 39 years, operate freely in the region, which is widely considered unsafe.

A Colombian government official said the rebels initially took the tourist group's guide, but later released him and he went straight to the police. The

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

Rampant kidnapping has devastated the tourist industry in a country rich in natural beauty and cultural attractions.

Only a small percentage of those kidnapped by Farc are rescued and most of those are released after payment of a ransom. Victims report forced marches lasting days as they are shuttled between jungle prisons.

Far-right paramilitaries also operate in the area, protecting its illegal drug crops. But they rarely bother tourists, and recently announced they had " executed" local men blamed for the murder of two Colombian holidaymakers.

The Lost City site, which has more than 80 circular raised stone platforms spread over several miles, is believed to have been built by the Tayrona Indians in about 500 BC and was only rediscovered in the Seventies.