UK 'ignoring' missing cameraman's wife

Fabienne Nerac has written to Tony Blair for help

The wife of ITN cameraman Fred Nerac, missing in Iraq since the early days of the war, has accused British military officials of ignoring her pleas for help finding him.

Fabienne Nerac, 43, has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair, requesting an interview, because "the Ministry of Defence is not answering me".

Mr Nerac vanished during a shooting incident between coalition forces and Iraqis, close to Basra on 22 March.

He was travelling in a two-car convoy that included ITV news correspondent Terry Lloyd, who was killed, and local translator Hussein Osman, who is also missing.

The fourth member of the party, cameraman Daniel Demoustier, escaped with minor injuries and claims they were hit by "friendly fire" aimed at about a dozen Iraqi soldiers.

'Not helping'

"The military police on the ground are not helpful at all because, apparently, they did not receive the order from the Ministry of Defence," Mrs Nerac told BBC News.

Cameraman Fred Nerac has been missing since March 22

"What I am asking the minister of defence is why is he not helping us? Why is he not giving the order to open a military investigation on the ground? "

Mrs Nerac, who lives in Brussels, said US authorities had been more helpful than the British, who control the Basra area where the accident happened.

"I have the feeling that it is not their priority at the moment, but to me it is a priority.

"We get more cooperation from the US on the ground."

ITN investigation

ITN chief executive Stewart Purvis said on Monday that US authorities told the station and Mrs Nerac that the press passes of Mr Nerac and Mr Osman had been found by British Black Watch soldiers.

However, when an ITN team conducting its own investigation questioned British troops, they said they had no knowledge of the find, Mrs Nerac said.

"This is what I am fighting against, because how come the MoD is saying they know nothing? We have no information," Mrs Nerac said.

The ITN search was being led by two former SAS soldiers.

Mrs Nerac said she had already spoken to the US Secretary of State Colin Powell and French President Jacques Chirac.

ITN believes the two missing men were either taken to Al Zubayr, south of Basra, or that they may have been killed by US troops after being put into an armed Iraqi militia pick-up.