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www.shoppingdotcom.co.uk The 15 British sailors released by Iran yesterday are on their way home after spending 13 days in captivity at the centre of an international diplomatic row.

According to Iran Radio, the 14 men and one woman left Tehran airport on a flight to London this morning, with a father of one of the released sailors also telling the BBC that they are expected to arrive at Heathrow at around midday.

The sudden end to the ordeal of the crew from HMS Cornwall came yesterday after Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the surprise announcement that he would pardon the service personnel as a "gift" to the British people.

Britain's ambassador to Iran was subsequently given access to the hostages for the first time since their capture following the theatrical press conference given in Tehran by Mr Ahmadinejad.

Despite agreeing to release the sailors, the Iranian president attacked Tony Blair's government for refusing to "admit it had made a mistake" by continuing to insist that the crew were in Iraqi waters, working under a United Nations mandate, when they were seized by Iranian forces in the Gulf on March 23rd.

The prime minister, who has consistently refuted Tehran's claims that the Royal Navy personnel were captured in Iranian territory, responded to the announcement of their release by telling Iran's citizens that Britain bore "no ill will" towards them.

Speaking outside Downing Street, flanked by foreign secretary Margaret Beckett last night, Mr Blair stopped short of thanking the Iranian president, but said he had taken a "measured approach" in seemingly ending the dispute, "firm but calm, "not negotiating but not confronting either".

The 15 sailors, who were reportedly released to the British embassy in Iran some hours after Mr Ahmadinejad's announcement, were shown on television shaking hands with the Iranian president following his statement and apparently thanking him for freeing them.

Families of the Royal Navy crew have expressed joy at news of their release, but the sister of one of the sailors said that she did not intend to celebrate until he was out of Iran.

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