Islamic State: British aid worker Alan Henning purportedly beheaded in video released by militant group
A video purportedly showing the beheading of British hostage Alan Henning has been released by Islamic State (IS) militants.
The Salford taxi driver was delivering aid to Syria in December when he was kidnapped then held hostage by IS.
The one-minute video, titled Another Message to America and its Allies, showed the British aid worker introducing himself, said SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist groups.
Mr Henning says "because of our parliament's decision to attack the Islamic State, I, as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision," according to SITE.
Dressed in an orange prison-style outfit and on his knees, Mr Henning was filmed with a masked militant standing over him wielding a knife.
The video is almost identical to those released after three previous murders, including those of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
British prime minister David Cameron, in a statement released after the video emerged, described the IS militants as "repulsive" and said the apparent murder showed "just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are".
US president Barack Obama also condemned the "brutal" murder.
"Standing together with our UK friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice," Mr Obama said, referring to other captives killed by Islamic State militants.
The White House and the British Foreign Office are both assessing the video, which the latter said, if authentic, shows a "further disgusting murder".
"We are aware of the video and are working urgently to verify the contents," a spokesman for the British Foreign Office said.
"If true, this is a further disgusting murder. We are offering the family every support possible; they ask to be left alone at this time."
The militant group had threatened to kill Mr Henning in a video showing the killing of UK hostage David Haines released last month.
Mr Henning's wife Barbara had recently appealed to IS to release him, calling her husband "a peaceful, selfless man".
Black-clad jihadi vows to 'strike necks' of Westerners
In the video, the jihadist, who has the same British accent as the killer in the video of the death of Haines, addresses Mr Cameron.
"The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British parliament," he declares.
The jihadist also addresses Mr Obama.
"Obama, you have started your aerial bombardment in Sham, which keeps on striking our people," the militant says, using the Arabic term for Syria and the Levant.
"So it is only right that we continue to strike the necks of your people."
Shuja Shafi, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, the UK's largest Islamic umbrella group, called the purported beheading of Mr Henning "a despicable and offensive act".
"It is quite clear that the murderers of Alan Henning have no regard for Islam, or for the Muslims around the world who pleaded for his life," he said.
IS is believed to be holding fewer than 10 Western hostages in Syria. The remaining hostages include British journalist John Cantlie, who has appeared in three Islamic State videos.
Mr Cantlie's father had earlier urged IS to release his son.
Paul Cantlie said in the address, delivered from a hospital where he's recovering from throat surgery, that the family had not known if John was alive until he appeared as the face of a recent series of IS videos.
