The family of a British cameraman covering the conflict in Chechnya have said they believe he has been killed in a battle between Russian forces and rebels, despite earlier confusion over his fate.

Initially Russian officials announced the body of a man bearing a passport in the name of Roddy Scott was found among a group of rebels killed during an attack by Russian forces in Ingushetia, bordering Chechnya, on Thursday.

It is still unclear if Roddy Scott has been killed

But the Kremlin later said they believed the 31-year-old may still be alive, as his passport did not match the body found.

However, his family, from North Yorkshire, said they were now assuming the worst.

Experienced reporter

Vaughan Smith, managing director of Frontline Television which distributed Mr Scott's material to broadcasters, said the body had not been formally identified but his passport and camera were both found with the remains following Thursday's battle.

In a statement on Friday Mr Scott's family said: "He undertook his last and fatal trip in the full knowledge of the extreme dangers that were inherent in it, but as always, with the full support of his family and friends, who recognised that efforts to dissuade him would be fruitless."

Whether it was Kurds, Chechens, Afghans or Palestinians he was committed to ensuring that issues were not sidelined

Mr Scott's family

Mr Scott was described as an experienced worldwide traveller and reporter and had spent several months during 2001 in Georgia with Chechen refugees and fighting forces.

This experience awarded him a degree of trust among a group of fighters who set out towards Chechnya a month ago, his family said.

'Courageous'

"Whether it was Kurds, Chechens, Afghans or Palestinians he was committed to ensuring that issues were not sidelined and received the international attention that that they deserved," said the family.

Paying tribute to the cameraman, Mr Smith added: "Roddy was a tenacious, courageous reporter."

In between trips abroad Mr Scott worked on research from the family's farm in North Yorkshire or with family and friends in London.

Frontline Television said Mr Scott had provided them with footage for about six years and had been in Georgia for about two months.

During his career his footage was used by many of the world's broadcasters, including the BBC and Sky.

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Earlier on Friday the Russian deputy state prosecutor, Mikhail Fridinsky, said that the body of the dead man and the photograph in the passport "do not correspond".

But Frontline News said in a statement that the passport numbers and other identification released by the Russian government tallied with those held at its offices in London.

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