Wife prayed for safe return

THE wife of hostage Kenneth Bigley has endured days of torment waiting for news of her husband.

Sombat Bigley would talk to the engineer almost every day as he worked in dangerous post-war Iraq when he called to reassure her he was okay.

Three weeks ago there was no phone call and Sombat heard nothing until an embassy official confirmed he was in the hands of kidnappers, local newspapers said.