Army denies British officer's kidnapping alert

British defence officials have denied that British troops have been kidnapped in Iraq after reports from army officers stating up to five had been captured in Basra.

UK military spokesman Group Captain Al Lockwood at the Allied Command Centre in Qatar said no British soldiers have been reported missing.

The apparent false alarm comes after British forces launched a search for seven Italian journalists who went missing after being stopped at an Iraqi checkpoint in Basra on Friday.

The TV station RAI said British soldiers in the zone had sent out a patrol to try to find the seven.

The reporters were arrested by Iraqi authorities as they drove through the outskirts of Basra, according to a colleague.