Saddam capture 'confirmed by US official'

Saddam Hussein's capture has apparently been confirmed by Paul Bremer, the US official in charge of running post-war Iraq.

Dara Noor al-Din, a member of the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council said Bremer told them of the former dictator's capture in a phone call.

Labour MP Ann Clwyd, Tony Blair's special representative to Iraq, said she first heard Saddam might have been captured shortly before 9am.

A number of Kurdish contacts suggested the reports were correct, said Ms Clwyd, who has long campaigned to have him tried for crimes against humanity.

"For me and I think for many others it is a wonderful Christmas present," she told Sky News. "Certainly for the people of Iraq it is terrific news because they needed to know that Saddam was not going to come back in any shape or form.

"That has always been the fear, that he would regain power again so that is fantastic news. And for people terrorised by Saddam's regime for over 30 years this brings some kind of closure to the whole terrible episode."

Ms Clwyd said taking out Saddam would help improve the security situation by persuading his henchmen there was nothing left to fight for.

"They will now know with their leader captured that they are never going to come back," she said. "I hope this will put an end to some of the violence."