Britons held in Iraq told to refund damages

Human shields held by Saddam Hussein in Baghdad during the first Gulf War have been asked to repay part of their compensation 17 years after their ordeal ended.

The Foreign Office has asked 113 people to repay the cash because of an error by the UN. They have 30 days to pay.

The demand has shocked the former detainees who spent months trapped in Baghdad, many in buildings seen as strategically important by Saddam Hussein. The Government has asked for a total of £391,000 after the UN Compensation Committee (UNCC) miscalculated the payments.

Chris Shaw, an engineer from the Wirral, was prevented from leaving Iraq when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. He escaped to the grounds of the British embassy where he spent months sleeping on a swing. Mr Shaw was paid almost £9,000 in compensation but just before Easter received the payment ultimatum from the Foreign Office consular directorate.

The letter says: "The UNCC has asked us to recover the overpayment made to you of £1,283 and payment of this amount should be sent to the FCO within 30 days of the date of this letter. Cheques should be made payable to "the Foreign and Commonwealth Office".

Ben Chapman, Mr Shaw's MP and a former senior civil servant, said the payments were "crazy" and had asked ministers to intervene. "We are talking 17 years ago. It's completely absurd."

Mr Shaw, who was out of work for months after returning from Iraq, said: "The compensation was nothing really and paid over the years in dribs and drabs.

"Some of these people will now be dead and some will be very elderly," he said. "They can't afford to pay this money. It's just a joke."