JOHN McCarthy, the journalist and writer held hostage in Beirut for more than five years, is giving a lecture in Salisbury Cathedral next week.

His lecture, Who Do You Say They Are?, is part of the cathedral's Lent series, Life Beyond Terror.

Mr McCarthy, who was captured by militant group Islamic Jihad in 1986, will relate his own experience as a hostage, as well as giving an insight into the background of asylum-seekers who seek help in this country.

Mr McCarthy is one of the patrons of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture and the lecture is a joint initiative between the charity and Salisbury Cathedral.

Salisbury campaigner for the foundation the Very Reverend Michael Mayne will chair the lecture.

He hopes it will not only raise awareness of the work carried out by the foundation but also help to clarify the confusion that sometimes arises over the difference between immigration and asylum.

"Under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, asylum-seekers have the right to be cared for," said Mr Mayne. "But there is a lot of tension surrounding the subject of immigration at the moment.

"Asylum-seekers are people who have gone through hell before getting to this country.

"Sadly, there are more than 90 nations where torture is still practised."

The lecture is on Thursday, March 10, at 7.30pm, in the cathedral. Admission is free, but there will be a retiring collection.