47 year old Alan Henning, also known as Gadget, is a father of two from Eccles who cares deeply about the suffering of others. Last December he joined a convoy of aid workers to deliver medical and other supplies to hospitals in Syria but was kidnapped by Islamic jihadists.
Nothing was heard of Alan until over the weekend when he was paraded at the end of the gruesome execution of fellow aid worker David Haines as the next potential victim.
People in Salford have been horrified by the events, with one Salford Star reader summing it up with his comment..."A lot of people knew him and it's so sad and unbelievable when it's so close to home."
Over the weekend, a letter sent to Prime Minister David Cameron from imams and Muslim leaders told him to stop referring to the `terror group' as `Islamic State'...
"It is neither Islamic, nor is it a state" they wrote "The group has no standing with faithful Muslims, nor among the international community of nations. It clearly will never accept the obligations that any legitimate state has, including the responsibility to protect citizens and uphold human rights....We believe that UnIslamic State could be an accurate and fair alternative name to describe this group and its agenda..."
People in Salford are calling it far worse names than that today.
• A Candlelit Vigil due to be held in Eccles has now been cancelled
Update: 4:30pm
Today in Eccles, taxi drivers who know Alan Henning spoke of his kindness and their disbelief of events in the Middle East.
"I think it's disgusting, he should be released and be at home with his family" said one cabbie who didn't want to be named "Everyone's just horrified by what's happened, he is an outgoing lad, funny, you could have a laugh with him.
"I couldn't believe what was happening and I didn't know until two months ago but apparently he'd been there since Christmas" he added "The Government should try and sort it out and get him back home. I'll be at the vigil tomorrow night."
Meanwhile, friend Daniel Heathcote told us "I used to go fishing with him in Sale and go round to his house for a coffee on my days off. He is a total family man and was doing something he believed in, delivering aid to Syrian refugees. He had been a couple of times and I would give him the kids' clothes which no longer fitted them to take in the aid convoy. This is unbelievable."
Update: 4th October: Salford mourns death of Alan Henning - click here
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