Britain made a fresh appeal today for the release of five British men who were kidnapped exactly one year ago from a finance ministry building in Baghdad.

From the British Embassy in Baghdad, Christopher Prentice, the British Ambassador to Iraq, recorded a video message in English and Arabic, aimed primarily at Iraqis.

In it, he said: “The British Government remains committed to working for the release of all those held and I appeal again to those responsible to release these men, in order that they may return home.”

The hostages, Peter Moore, a computer consultant, and his four security guards, were seized by a gang of about 40 gunmen wearing police uniform from the Finance Ministry compound in a mid-morning attack on May 29, 2007.

The kidnapping sparked a major manhunt by US, British and Iraqi forces that is still ongoing. The men have yet to be found, however. There is speculation that the five might have been taking to a hideout in Iran.

Mr Prentice highlighted the plight of the men’s loved ones back home.

“It has been a long and extremely difficult year for these men’s families, who only wish to have their loved ones back home, safe from their ordeal,” he said in a statement timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the kidnapping.

The Ambassador repeated an appeal for information.

“Here in the British Embassy in Baghdad, and in our consulates in Basra and Irbil, we wish to hear from any person who has information about these five men or anyone who may be able to bring about their safe release.”

A man identified only as Colin, father of a hostage called Alec, said yesterday that the families “had to believe” the outcome would be positive.

He told the BBC: “We do believe that. I think that the initial shock - the first week - was a complete blank. To be honest, we were so shocked by the news. Because, like every individual, one often thinks it will never happen to you, it will always happen to someone else.

“When the reality sets in that it’s actually your son, things pale into insignificance for the first three days, shell shock.

“As things develop you sort of live with it, although you never completely get used to it. You’ve got to live with it, otherwise it will destroy you.”

On December 4 a film broadcast on the Dubai-based TV station al-Arabiya gave warning that one hostage would be killed unless British troops were withdrawn from Iraq. One of the men, named as Jason, was shown in the clip complaining that the kidnapped men felt they had been “forgotten”.

Yesterday Jason’s sister, Lisette, pleaded for him to be released. In an interview with the BBC he urged: “Give him back, let him come home to his family. We really miss him. There's not a day, or a minute or anything that goes by without us thinking about Jason."

Negotiations for the captives’ release are continuing but in the run-up to today’s anniversary their relatives have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office emphasises that sensitive discussions are going on behind the scenes. But the father of a Scottish captive called Alan has accused the department of failing to keep families fully informed.

Dennis, who does not want to give his surname, told BBC Scotland that his message to the kidnappers would be: “I’m begging you, let my son come home. That’s all I’m asking. Just to let him come home because I’ve missed him so much.”

The comments come just over a week after the former Archbishop of Canterbury broke a year-long government news blackout to appeal directly to the group holding the five “forgotten” hostages.

Lord Carey of Clifton released a video statement through Times Online in which he greeted the hostage-takers as “honourable men” and “men of faith”.

The former Archbishop was accompanied by Canon Andrew White, his former Middle East envoy and now Anglican chaplain to Iraq. Canon White has devoted much of the past year to working with Iraqi religious and tribal leaders to try to open lines of communication and engage in dialogue with the hostage-takers.

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