Hostage talks at 'critical point'

Fresh pictures of the 15 captured British service personnel, including Shropshire woman Faye Turney, have been published.

The pictures of the sailors and marines dressed in track suits and smiling were released by an Iranian news agency yesterday as Tony Blair said that negotiations to free them were entering a "critical" phase.

The Prime Minister said the door was open to a diplomatic solution to the 13-day crisis, if the Iranians wanted one. At the same time, he warned Tehran that Britain would take progressively tougher measures if there were no moves to free the detainees.

And today Syria said it was also mediating in the dispute.

The latest pictures feature Mrs Turney, 26, the only woman to be captured by Iranian forces on March 23, sitting and chatting with colleagues.

Unlike earlier footage, she is shown not wearing an Islamic headscarf. In one picture the men are playing chess.

The caption said: "It seems that the sailors are satisfied with their situation, in which they are enjoying good conditions instead of working in a hard situation in the Persian Gulf."

Mrs Turney, who is married to Plymouth-based Royal Navy sailor Adam, and has a three-year-old daughter Molly, has featured in several videos and letters, purportedly written by her, have been released.

Mr Blair's positive reaction follows talks between Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman and the Iranian ambassador in London last night, their eighth meeting since the Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines were seized.

The Government, however, remains adamant that the personnel were operating legitimately in Iraqi territorial waters in the northern Gulf when they were seized by the Iranians on March 23.

Home Secretary John Reid said contact had been made by Iran's chief negotiator Dr Ali Larijani but there was no timescale to when the crisis may be resolved.

"What everyone wants obviously is a speedy and safe resolution of this diplomatically," he said

By Sarah Bullock