Kidnapped Briton Mike Harvey freed in Yemen

A British man who was kidnapped in Yemen in February has been released safely, the Foreign Office has said.

The Foreign Office said the man - Mike Harvey - was being supported by staff at the British embassy and would be reunited with his family soon.

A spokesman said the release was secured by "the government of Yemen who engaged with tribal intermediaries, which is standard practice".

Mr Harvey, a teacher, was kidnapped in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in February.

He was abducted while on his way from an educational institute on 12 February.

The kidnapping was the third to have taken place in Yemen in two weeks.

Another Briton working with an oil services company was kidnapped in Sanaa on 2 February. Two days earlier, a German citizen had been abducted.

Mr Harvey's family are aware that he has been released and have asked for privacy.

Referring to the role played by authorities in the country, the Foreign Office spokesman said: "We're grateful to the government of Yemen for all their support."

Kidnapping has long been a problem in Yemen and the Foreign Office advises against travel to the country by British nationals.