A locksmith who has been living and working quietly in Northamptonshire for a decade faces trial for his alleged involvement in a notorious massacre of Croatian prisoners of war.

Milorad Pejic, an ethnic Serb born in Croatia, was arrested at Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade on an international warrant last Wednesday when he returned to visit relatives.

The Serbian prosecution service for war crimes ordered an investigation into Mr Pejic’s involvement in December 2003 but his residency in Britain ensured that he remained beyond the reach of the authorities.

The prosecutor’s office suspects that Mr Pejic, who holds a British passport and is the father of two young boys, took part in the summary execution of 260 mainly Croatian prisoners of war at the Ovcara pig farm near Vukovar in November 1991 as a member of a Serb-run local defence unit.

His arrest has shocked the substantial Serbian community in Corby, where he sought refuge from the war with his wife and children.

Phil Hope, Labour MP for Corby & Northamptonshire East, has written to David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, urging him to ensure that his constituent receives a fair trial.

The massacre was one of the worst episodes early in the Balkan conflict. After the capture of Vukovar by the Serb forces in November 1991, those who had taken refuge in the town’s hospital, including patients, soldiers and staff, were rounded up and taken to the pig farm. Some were tortured before they were executed and their bodies dumped in mass graves. It took several years of exhumations and scientific work to gather evidence.

Last year the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague convicted two Serb officers, Mile Mrksic and Veselin Sljivancanin, of taking part in the massacre and sentenced them to twenty and five years in prison respectively.

Mr Pejic, who was born in Vukovar, is said to have been a member of the Vukovar territorial defence responsible for the massacre. Friends in Corby have started a collection to give financial assistance to Mr Pejic’s family.

Ellen Vuckovic, whose husband is the priest at the Serbian Orthodox Church in Corby, said: “He is a young man who had to flee for his life to find a better place to live. From what we know, he saved the lives of quite a few Croats even though his brother was killed by a Croat.

“We were shocked by his arrest. He is a lovely, gentle father and husband. They have come to church all these years and I have not noticed an evil side to him. From what we know about him, he is a genuine, lovely lad.”

Some community members say that Mr Pejic could have been targeted simply because he was in the army. Nev Celebicanin, who runs the Club 2000, a centre for the Serbian community, told the Northampton Evening Telegraph that what was being said were only allegations. “There are a lot of people pointing the finger at people for these crimes in Serbia.”

Mr Hope, a Cabinet Office minister, said: “I am obviously unable to comment on whether or not a person is guilty of war crimes. However, I have contacted the Foreign Office to request that they work with the Croatian authorities to ensure that Mr Pejic receives a fair trial.”

It is believed that Mr Pejic has dual nationality.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are aware of the arrest of this individual. We are awaiting further details and until we have this information we can make no comment.”

The siege

— Vukovar, once a quiet provincial town noted for its baroque architecture on the right bank of the Danube, close to the border with Serbia, became known as Croatia's Stalingrad.

— The Battle for Vukovar was a brutal 87-day siege and bombardment by the Serb forces of the Yugoslav People's Army and militia in November 1991.

— It led to the virtual destruction of the town and the “ethnic cleansing” of the Croat population. About 2,000 soldiers and countless civilians were killed in the conflict.

— Croatia regained control of the town only in 1998.

— It took several years of exhumations and forensic investigation to uncover the true extent of the massacre at Ovcara farm, 4KM outside Vukovar.

— Serbian courts later sentenced 14 former militiamen to jail terms of up to 20 years for the killing of at least 200 prisoners seized at ther Vukovar hospital. A retrial was ordered by the Serbian Supreme Court over alleged irregularities in proceedings.

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