The distraught wife of British hostage Alan Henning pleaded yesterday to his jihadist captors to show mercy and release him.

In a direct televised appeal to Islamic State, a tearful Barbara Henning said: ‘I ask Islamic State please release him, we need him back home.’

She said her efforts to communicate with the captors of her 47-year-old taxi driver husband have been met only with silence. Her sole contact has been an audio message from Mr Henning pleading for his life.

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Desperate: Barbara Henning today broke her silence to issue a plea for ISIS to release her husband Alan

Public: Although Mrs Henning has made previous statements calling for her husband's release, this is the first time she has been filmed appealing to his captors

Her appeal was made minutes before the Ministry of Defence announced that RAF Tornados had attacked IS targets inside Iraq – a move some fear could spark a backlash against Mr Henning.

The Briton known as Jihadi John, who has appeared in videos beheading hostages, said British aid worker David Haines, 44, was murdered because the UK began supplying Kurdish forces with weapons.

Mr Henning, from Salford, who was seized on Boxing Day last year as he delivered aid to Syrian refugees, was shown at the end of the video of Mr Haines’s death with the threat that he would be next.

Emotional: Mrs Henning said she was 'dreadfully concerned' for the safety of her husband

Fear: Last week Mrs Henning revealed she had received a message from her husband pleading for his life

Concern: Alan Henning is an ex-taxi driver from Manchester who travelled to the Middle East as an aid worker

Since then there has been a massive international campaign to secure his freedom and Mrs Henning stressed: ‘Muslims across the globe continue to question Islamic State over Alan’s fate.

'Their position regarding his situation is unequivocal. He is innocent ... We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan’s humanitarian motives for going to Syria and why they continue to ignore the verdict of their own justice system [not guilty of spying].

‘Surely those who wish to be seen as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency.’

Plea: Mrs Henning urged Islamic State leaders to 'open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan's humanitarian motives for going to Syria'

'WE WANT HIM BACK HOME': MRS HENNING'S STATEMENT IN FULL 'I have a further message for Islamic State: We've not abandoned Alan and we continue in our attempts to communicate with you. 'We have had no contact from Islamic State holding him other than an audio file of him pleading for his life. 'Muslims across the globe continue to question Islamic State over Alan's fate. Their position regarding his statement is unequivocal. He is innocent. 'Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place during the right time. 'We are at a loss why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan's humanitarian motives for going to Syria and why they continue to ignore the verdicts of their own justice system. 'Surely those who wish to be known as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency. 'Alan, we miss you and we're dreadfully concerned for your safety. But we are given so much hope by the outcry across the world as to your imprisonment. We ask Islamic State: Please release him. We want him back home. 'Thank you.' Advertisement

More than 100 high-profile Muslim leaders have warned that killing Mr Henning is against shariah law and would be the ‘worst condemnable sin’ against Islam.

Mr Henning’s brother-in-law Colin Livesey said he fears the air strikes could make it harder to find Mr Henning as the group will be forced to move.

Dr Shameela Islam-Zulfiqar, who travelled with Mr Henning on several aid convoys to Syria, warned UK air strikes would leave little hope of Mr Henning being released alive. She added: ‘It doesn’t leave you very optimistic, but we still have to remain hopeful.’

Hopeful: A yellow ribbon inscribed with the words 'Free Alan Henning' adorns a fence in his home town of Salford, as his friends, family and neighbours pray for his release

Plight: The father of two was captured by the group’s fanatics last December while delivering aid in Syria