THE family of student captive Paul Wells is to meet relatives of his fellow captive Keith Mangan to discuss the future of the hostages campaign.

Paul's father Bob Wells, of Bracken Close, Feniscowles, Blackburn, today said that the immediate plans of the Hostages In Kashmir would be considered with the family of the Middlesbrough captive early in the new year.

He added: "We must consider the feelings of all those involved before deciding where we should go from here.

"Many people have asked me and Keith's wife Julie when we will return to India.

"But that might not be the right thing for us to do. The visits to India have been extremely stressful for all concerned."

Paul and Keith, along with American Donald Hutchings, German Dirk Hasert and Norwegian Hans Christian Ostroe were captured by Kashmiri militants while trekking in the Himalayas in July 1995.

Ostroe was later found decapitated but there has been no news of Paul or the others ever since. On January 4 it will be two years and six months since the families' ordeal began.

Mr Wells added: "Our feeling is and has been for the last 12 months that Paul and the others have not survived.

"Despite that, we would still like them home to be near their families.

"On the other hand, it seems strange but it might be better for somebody who loved the mountains to remain among them."

Mr Wells has spent the last 14 months involved in the Hostages In Kashmir Campaign set up specifically to discover the fate of the Westerners.

He added: "Since I myself have been active in the campaign over the last 12 or 14 months nothing really has changed other than our view of the situation.

"We are no further forward, we have no new information, just a lot more knowledge.

"We have got to come to the conclusion that they may not have survived. But we can never be sure until we have conclusive proof."

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