Two foreign oil workers being held hostage in southern Nigeria have gone free.

A Cheshire man, 44-year-old Trevor Breslin from Penketh in Warrington, was held hostage for almost a week in Nigeria. He now expects to be home with his wife and three children in time for Christmas.

The other - an American - escaped from the boat where he was detained during the delivery of supplies.

Diplomats said the American made his getaway by hiding on a boat used to bring supplies. He is said to be safe in a nearby village.

Two Britons and around ten Nigerians who were also seized on Saturday remain on the boat which is moored deep in the Niger delta.

All of the hostages are employees of the American oil company, Western Atlas.

Western Atlas, has been negotiating with local villagers to obtain their release. There have been a number of similar hostage-takings this year by people angry that Nigeria's oil wealth has not benefitted their region.

The oil company has been paying some of the hostage-takers, who are their local employees, and this appears to have reduced tensions.

Workers occupied Elf offices

Diplomats have said they anticipate an end to the crisis. They have hinted that a positive development could take place, since the US firm appears to have settled the dispute.

The hostage-taking seems to have arisen from a row over payment of work undertaken for the oil firm by villagers.

The company had been carrying out seismic testing in the area to assess the region's potential for oil drilling.

It was at odds with the local community for at least a month before the villagers stepped up the pressure by taking hostages.

Similar incidents have occurred in Nigeria, often in bids for higher pay for local employees working for international firms that exploit the country's reserves and largest source of foreign currency income.

Economic decline causes frustration

In early December, employees of the French oil giant, Elf Aquitaine, occupied the company's offices in Lagos and Port Harcourt for more than a week, preventing expatriate staff from entering.

Backed by powerful labour unions, they demanded pay hikes and a reduction in the number of expatriate staff employed by Elf. The incident ended peacefully after the workers prevailed on both counts.

Many villagers in the Niger delta have no electricity or running water, in spite of the vast oil resources on their land.

The economic decline Nigeria has suffered over recent years may be contributing to their level of frustration and their willingness to use force to achieve their ends.

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