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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/britons-detention-exaggerated.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="Foreign Secretary William Hague has ordered UK ambassadors around the world to raise concerns about the detention of four British men in Eritrea" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/min-britons-detention-exaggerated.jpg" alt="Foreign Secretary William Hague has ordered UK ambassadors around the world to raise concerns about the detention of four British men in Eritrea"/></a></p>
<p>The detention of four Britons in Eritrea has been &#8220;massively blown out of proportion&#8221;, a private security firm has said.</p>
<p>Foreign Secretary William Hague ordered UK ambassadors around the world to raise concerns with their Eritrean counterparts about the holding of the men, two of whom are former Royal Marines.</p>
<p>But naval security firm Protection Vessels International (PVI) said the men had not been arrested and the episode related to &#8220;confusion over fuel payment&#8221;.</p>
<p>The four Britons, two ex-Marine guards and two civilian crew members, were on board a merchant vessel that stopped in a port in the east African country to pick up supplies, a PVI spokesman said.</p>
<p>The spokesman for the security firm said: &#8220;It&#8217;s been massively blown out of proportion. It&#8217;s a vessel that just went in for a fuel stop. There was basically confusion over fuel payment.</p>
<p>&#8220;No-one&#8217;s been arrested and all personnel are still on the vessel. There are some ongoing negotiations about that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Asked why the Foreign Secretary had taken an interest in the case, the spokesman said: &#8220;Because of the difficulties of dealing with that particular country, those people have been involved in the negotiations.&#8221;</p>
<p>PVI, based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, describes itself on its website as &#8220;the world&#8217;s leading specialist in ship security&#8221;.</p>
<p>The Foreign Office said it was &#8220;deeply concerned&#8221; that the Eritrean authorities were continuing to refuse to let British officials see the men, who are reported to have been held for over eight weeks.</p>
<p>Africa Minister Henry Bellingham summoned the Eritrean ambassador in London to the Foreign Office on January 17 and 20 to repeat requests for access to the four captives.</p>
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