Sailor row 'handled badly' - Hain

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The UK's handling of the Royal Navy crew who were held captive by Iran went "badly wrong", cabinet minister Peter Hain has admitted.

Mr Hain said the crew should never have been captured and he criticised the way they were treated when they returned.

He said Defence Secretary Des Browne would give a statement to Parliament on Monday to explain what had happened.

The 15 sailors were initially told they could sell their stories to the media, but Mr Browne reversed this policy.

The navy permitting its personnel to profit from their duties drew fierce criticism from the Conservatives, former military figures and the families of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

'Difficult situation'

Mr Hain, who is Northern Ireland secretary, told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions the capture of the crew and their treatment when they returned was a "sequence of events that shouldn't have happened".

But he said media groups had already offered huge amounts of money to the families of the crew before they were freed by Iran.

Mr Hain said he did not believe anyone had acted in bad faith

"The navy originally sought to handle a difficult situation where contracts, as I understand it, were already being exchanged with the media.

"I'm sure Des Browne, who is a very straight minister, will come to the house, explain what happened, answer all the questions."

Mr Browne has taken responsibility for the navy's decision.

The 15 freed navy crew have been at the centre of a row since they were released - even though only two of them have sold their stories.

Arthur Batchelor, 20, the youngest of the British sailors to be held captive, told the Daily Mirror about his "nightmare" at the hands of his captors.

And Leading Seaman Faye Turney sold her story to ITV1's Tonight with Trevor Macdonald and the Sun newspaper - reportedly for a six-figure sum, some of which will go to navy families.

The Royal Navy crew were on patrol boats in the Gulf on 23 March when they were detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard - the Iranians said they had strayed into its waters, which the British deny.