COALITION forces in Afghanistan have found a body thought to be that of a British engineer captured by rebels last Wednesday.

David Addison, who was working on a road project, was abducted with his interpreter by suspected Taliban fighters in an ambush in the west of the country.

Kim Howells, the Foreign Office minister, said Addison had been found dead yesterday morning.

Howells said that, at the request of the British government, coalition forces had launched an operation “to locate and, if necessary, to rescue David Addison. With great sadness I have to report that in the course of the operation they found a body, which is presumed to be that of David”.

Last night Addison’s family issued a statement through the Foreign Office, saying: “The family are very distressed and upset to learn of David’s death. David was a very loving husband and father and he will be sorely missed. We ask that our privacy is respected as we come to terms with this sad news.”

Addison was travelling with guards from US Protection and Investigation, a security company based in Houston, Texas, which has a contract to protect the Kandahar-Herat road reconstruction project. There was no reply from the company offices last night.

Earlier this year, the company was criticised by the International Crisis Group for paying substantial amounts of money to local traffic police commanders guarding the road project, which is supported by the US Agency for International Development.

A claim of responsibility for the kidnap by Taliban guerrillas was treated with scepticism by Afghan officials who thought it was more likely he was being held by a criminal gang.

The Foreign Office statement added that it was not known when or how Addison had died, although early yesterday news agencies reported that Afghan security forces had surrounded a remote village where Addison was thought to be held.

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