The remains of two British hostages handed to authorities in Iraq were identified today, Government sources have said.

Results of forensic tests confirmed that neither of the bodies was that of Peter Moore, the IT consultant and one of five men held captive since 2007.

The source said that liaison officers were with the families of the dead. She added: “A formal announcement will be made later.”

Mr Moore and his four bodyguards were kidnapped from the Iraqi Finance Ministry in Baghdad on May 29, 2007. His father, Graeme, said last night that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had “not bothered” to keep him informed after the bodies were handed over on Friday.

“At this stage we are just clinging on to any hope we can. The Government have not been good enough throughout,” he is reported to have said.

“I was visited by a police officer who could only read a statement. What we want and deserve is some clarification as to what’s going on. We are besides ourselves."

The remains of the two bodies were released by the Iraqi Government late on Friday. Disclosing the “distressing development” in a surprise statement yesterday, David Miliband said that it was “a terrible moment of uncertainty and fear” for the men’s families.

“Our immediate thoughts are with the families of five Britons taken hostage in Baghdad in May 2007,” Mr Miliband said. “As would be the case with any development of this kind, they will fear the worst for their loved ones.”

It is a cruel twist for the families of the five men who were kidnapped by a Shia militant group during a raid on the Finance Ministry two years ago. Only ten days ago reports suggested that the kidnappers might hand over their captives. That followed the release by the US military of a prominent insurgent linked to the hostage-takers.

Mr Moore, then 32, was working in Iraq for Bearingpoint, an American management consultancy. His guards were employed by a Canadian security company, GardaWorld. Little information has been released about them, but it is believed they are called Alan, Jason, Alec and Jason.

The mother of Alec, whose identity is being withheld for security reasons, said yesterday: “We are anxious about the situation. We have heard nothing new from the Foreign Office, but we are hoping for the best."

The men were seized during a carefully planned operation by about 40 armed men wearing police uniforms. Their whereabouts have remained unknown despite a massive manhunt by the Iraqi authorities and British military, led by the SAS.

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