British hostage Alan Henning’s family are “numb with grief”

British hostage Alan Henning’s family are “numb with grief” after he was murdered by Islamic State (IS) militants, his widow Barbara has said.

A video of the Salford taxi driver’s killing appeared online on Friday.

His widow and their two children said they were “extremely proud” of him. They thanked the government and others for their support.

Mr Henning’s brother had earlier suggested more could have been done to secure the 47-year-old’s release.

Colin Livesey described the killers as “scum” and said the family had lost a “great person”.

‘Extremely proud’

Prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, described the murder as “completely unforgivable” and vowed the UK would do all it could to find those responsible.

Mr Henning was on his fourth aid mission to Syria in December when he was kidnapped minutes after arriving in the country.

The statement from the Henning family said: “Alan was a decent, caring human being. His interest was in the welfare of others. He will be remembered for this and we as a family are extremely proud of him and what he achieved and the people he helped.”

Mrs Henning and her children, Lucy and Adam, also thanked those who campaigned for Mr Henning’s release, saying: “Your efforts were a great support to us, and we take comfort in knowing how many people stood beside us in hoping for the best.”

Earlier, Mr Livesey – Mrs Henning’s brother – said he was devastated for the family.

“We’re all just saddened knowing that we’ve lost a great person in our family,” he said.

Regarding Mr Henning’s killers, Mr Livesey said: “I just hope and pray they get what’s coming to them. I’ve just so much hatred for them.”

He said the government could have done more for Mr Henning in captivity, “when they knew about it, months and months ago”. BBC