THE fate of British journalist Yvonne Ridley is unknown despite signs before the military strikes that she was due to be freed.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said there had been "no positive news" about Yvonne's safety and her family has still received no news of her whereabouts.

The first strikes against Afghanistan came just hours after reports that the Taliban had released the 43-year-old Sunday Express reporter.

Ridley was detained by the Taliban on September 28 after officials claimed she entered Afghanistan illegally.

Straw said: "There are no positive reports about Yvonne Ridley's safety - but there are no negative reports either. I feel terribly for her family. It has been a real emotional rollercoaster for them."

Mother-of-one Ms Ridley was not carrying a passport when she entered Afghanistan to report on the crisis facing its people, following the September 11 terrorist strikes on America.

Taliban authorities claimed she was a spy and jailed her in Kabul, but the team bidding for her release provided documents proving she was a journalist and arrangements were made for her release.

Tweet