MANY men are lured to Iraq by the promise of extremely lucrative contracts, with £500 per day, tax-free, up for grabs from private security firms.

They spend a year or so in places like Iraq as bodyguards or overseeing convoys.

Most are ex-soldiers, from the elite regiments of the armed forces, highly trained in looking after themselves and their charges.

They work for private security companies who hold contracts with Iraqi businesses or government organisations.

The Foreign Office reportedly spent more than £148m on security companies in Iraq in the past three years.

And contracts worth more than £42m have been awarded for security work in Afghanistan from the beginning of last year to the end of 2009. But the good pay comes at a high price.

Jason Swindlehurst and Jason Creswell lost their lives trying to provide security for another worker in Iraq.

But the deaths of others at the hands of kidnappers have proved it is not just soldiers and security workers who are at risk.

Liverpool engineer Kenneth Bigley, 62, was killed on October 7, 2004, in Baghdad and aid worker Margaret Hassan, 59, who was born in Ireland and grew up in London, was murdered later the same year.

Peace activist Norman Kember, 76, survived a kidnap ordeal and was rescued by British forces on March 23, 2006. But his US colleague, Tom Fox, was found shot dead.