Brother of Scottish gas worker killed during Algerian hostage crisis found out about his sibling's death on Facebook

Kenneth Whiteside's brother, Bob, found out about his death via the Internet

Families of British gas workers killed in the Algerian hostage crisis have criticised the UK authorities for not providing them with enough information about their loved ones - with one man revealing he found out about his brother’s death via a co-worker online.

Bob Whiteside said that police did not confirm his 59-year-old brother, Kenneth – who was from Glenrothes in Fife but was living in South Africa with his wife and two daughters – had been killed until they received a message on the internet saying he had died.

“We know now what’s happened to Kenny but we actually had to find out for ourselves,” Mr Whiteside told the BBC. “We were not given any official information and it was through Facebook, of all things, that we found out of Kenny’s demise.

He added: “It was my daughter who found it on Facebook, a message from an Algerian co-worker. The police came last night and informed us that what was on Facebook was true, that Kenny had been... executed.”