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British man Akmal Shaikh has been executed in China, the Foreign Office has confirmed. Mr Shaikh was due to be put to death at 2.30am UK time, and just after 4am his execution by firing squad was reported. He was said to have been buried immediately following his death and his body will not be returned to the UK. Prime Minister Gordon Brown immediately condemned the execution, while Sally Rowen from legal charity Reprieve described the killing as 'horrific, barbaric and outrageous'. Mr Brown said: 'I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms. I am appalled and...

Condemned Briton's 'Heartbroken' Family Beg For Compassion from China The family of Akmal Shaikh, the British man condemned to death in China, have made a last-minute appeal to the Chinese authorities to show mercy. By David Eimer in Beijing 28 Dec 2009 Akmal Shaikh, a British national who is facing the death penalty in China for possession of heroin Photo: AFP/GETTY Mr Shaikh is due to be executed in Urumqi at 10.30am Tuesday morning local time for heroin smuggling. "We're here to plead for clemency and we hope the Chinese government shows compassion. His life is in their hands now,"...