Paul Cantlie dead: Father of British Isis hostage John Cantlie dies

The elderly father of British hostage John Cantlie, who had appealed to Islamic State captors to release his son, has died.

Paul Cantlie, who recorded a video message from hospital after undergoing throat surgery earlier this month, died on Thursday from complications following pneumonia, the family said.

The family had repeatedly tried to get messages to those holding Mr Cantlie. “Paul died not knowing whether John’s captors had received any of the messages he had sent to them," a statement released on Tuesday said. "The failure of communication to date has inevitably led to a terrible sense of abandonment, particularly for John’s father, with the family feeling ignored."

It added: "This burden has been especially hard these last few days, as we have so needed to tell John that his father, whom he so loved, has died.”

John Cantlie, a 43-year-old photojournalist, from Haslemere in Surrey, was abducted in Syria in November 2012 and is being held by Isis militants. He has appeared in four videos appearing to read scripted passages on behalf of his captors.

In a video filmed by the BBC on October 3, his 80-year-old father, who was undergoing treatment for a chest infection after an operation to remove his voice box, told his son's captors: "Speaking entirely for myself, this is not how I had imagined I would be passing my 81st year.

"I want John to know how very proud I am of him. I can think of no greater joy than seeing my dear son released and allowed to return home to us."