Detectives search the murder scene

England have

Police have launched a murder hunt after a man was found shot dead and his companion seriously wounded in a lay-by in Bedfordshire.

The couple were found by a police patrol in the lay-by on the A6 at Deadman's Hill, near Luton, at 0645 BST today.

The dead man, who has been identified as physicist Michael John Gregsten, 34, from Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, had been shot twice in the head with a 38-calibre revolver.

His companion, 22-year-old laboratory assistant, Valerie Storie, from Cippenham, near Slough, had been raped and shot five times in the chest. She was taken to hospital in Bedford where she underwent surgery for her injuries.

Police believe the couple, both employees of the Road Research Laboratory near Slough, were confronted by a man with a gun as they were parked on Dorney Common in Berkshire yesterday evening.

They were ordered to drive to Deadman's Hill, where the attack took place.

The murderer left the scene in Mr Gregsten's grey Morris Minor, registration number 847 BHN, which was found abandoned in Ilford, Essex, this evening.

Detectives and tracker dogs have spent the day searching the surrounding area and so far two cartridges have been found.

House-to-house inquiries have also been carried out.

Miss Storie's mother, Mrs John Storie, said: "Michael came here last night and had tea with Valerie.

"They then left at about 7.30pm in a grey Morris car which I understood belonged to Michael's mother. They took with them maps and other things to organise a car rally being held at their office this weekend.

"Valerie has worked at the laboratory since she left school five years ago and she has known Michael for a long time."

Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. He leaves two sons, aged seven and two.   

Saddam: "Foreigners are Iraq's guests"

Saddam told the group of more than a dozen mainly British people they had been detained to prevent war and said Iraq wanted to see that they were safe.

They are among hundreds of foreigners being held in Iraq since its invasion of Kuwait at the beginning of August.

However, the Iraqi leader told them they were not being held as "human shields" saying Iraq was in a position to destroy any attacker.

Saddam singled out one young British boy - named only as Stuart - and ruffled the child's hair.

Speaking through an interpreter, he asked Stuart if he was getting his milk.

The Iraqi leader told the group: "We hope your presence as guests here will not be for too long.

"Your presence here, and in other places, is meant to prevent the scourge of war."

They would become heroes of peace, Saddam added.

The detainees, who looked strained and nervous, were promised tuition for their children and given permission to write to their families.

At the end of the 30-minute taped appearance, the Iraqi leader posed for photographs with the hostages before shaking each one by the hand.

A spokesman for the Gulf Support Group, set up by relatives of stranded Britons, said the interview "made all of us feel sick".

The British Foreign Secretary, Douglas Hurd, also criticised the broadcast.

Mr Hurd said: "I think the manipulation of children in that sort of way is contemptible."

The TV appearance has also been condemned by the US.

revolver: a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)（連發(fā)左輪手槍）

hostage: a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another party will meet specified terms（人質(zhì)）

detain :deprive of freedom（拘留）