Columbia hostage will feel 'reborn'

Mark Henderson was one of five hostages released on Monday

The day after British backpacker Mark Henderson was freed by Colombian rebels, a former hostage explains what emotions he will be feeling.

Businessman Peter Shaw, from Cowbridge, south Wales, was kidnapped at gunpoint in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on 18 June 2002 and held captive for five months before escaping.

He told BBC Wales that 32-year-old television producer Mr Henderson, who was freed on Monday after being held for 102 days, was in for a "surreal" week.

"The first few days were obviously euphoric," said Mr Shaw.

"It is a hell of a transition from being where he was to where he is now.

"For the first few days, in particular, it takes some time to come down to earth and appreciate one is free."

However, Mr Shaw said it did not take him too long to get back to normal.

Peter Shaw was released shortly before Christmas last year

"I had huge support from my family and friends and it was a series of meeting people again," he said.

"The media attention was immense - the whole thing was surrealistic and unreal."

But it was not just the attention that he found hard to handle.

"The first few days I couldn't sleep on a bed," he said.

"I had to sleep on the floor because I wasn't used to the comfort of normality.

"But the family were great and my friends were great and, within a week or two, I was back to normal again."

There is an overwhelming sense of emotional release - it is indescribable Peter Shaw, former hostage

He added that he had almost given up hope of ever coming home alive.

"I did not think in the last few weeks of my captivity that I would ever come home to Cowbridge or south Wales again," he said.

"I thought I would be killed, and the whole situation [of being freed] was one of being reborn all over again.

"It takes to come down to earth and realise that all the things you thought you would not see again are there in front of you.

"There is an overwhelming sense of emotional release - it is indescribable."