76213-65FEW of us would volunteer to be bound, blindfolded, stripped naked and interrogated for a television programme but that just what one Swindon man has done.

Pete Dewhirst and six others were selected to take part in a Channel 4 TV programme which will re-open the debate on whether techniques used on suspect-ed terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay are justified.

Although the onset of hypothermia meant that he only lasted eight of the 48 hours he endured some of the milder kinds of stress and duress methods used.

These included prolonged and painful stress positions, sleep deprivation, forced nudity and exposure to extremes of temperature.

"I saw it advertised on a website and just wanted to do something that challenged me," said the father-of-two, who represented Great Britain at the European Triathlon Championship last year.

"I was a bit nervous but more excited on the day itself and just wanted to get through it.

"It was the first time that I had ever been in a situation where I was totally helpless and made me realise that in these situations there is nobody to turn to or talk to.

"Even after going through it I support the methods used because some of my friends were blown up by the IRA. It helps get information out of people and save lives."

After he arrived at a disused warehouse in London to take part in the programme, three balaclava-clad men jumped on Mr Dewhirst, of Dorchester Road, Lawn, put a hood over his head and frog-marched him into a room.

His clothes were then cut from his body and he was thrown an orange boiler suit, gloves and headphones to wear.

After being made to kneel down with his hands above his head he was bundled into the back of a vehicle and taken on a trip for about an hour.

Mr Dewhirst, who served in the RAF for 14 years and now works for Lucent Technologies in west Swindon, was then taken back into a warehouse, interrogated, chained up in a cell before being quizzed again.

Because he started to become ill, doctors pulled the 49-year-old from the exercise.

"I was extremely unhappy that I had to leave," he said. "I had to be carried out of the room and spent five hours in an emergency sleeping bag to warm up.

"Even now I'm not happy about what happened as at the end of the day it's a failure.

"I'm looking forward to seeing myself on television but it all depends on how I'm portrayed."

Four of the seven lasted the duration but a spokes-man for the programme said all who took part suffered.

"What the volunteers endured was mild in compar-ison to the treatment of the real detainees, yet two of them vomited, another soiled himself and one had to drop out," he said.

"The Bush administration argues that these methods are essential to protect democracy. Human rights lawyers say they are torture. Now viewers can decide if they are ever justified in the war on terror."

Torture: The Guantanamo Guidebook will be shown at 11.05pm on Channel 4 on Monday.

500 are detained

More than 500 prisoners of 35 nationalities are being held at the US Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The prisoners are denied basic rights under international law and most have been held without charge or trial.

Many of the prisoners have no access to the courts, legal counsel or family visits.

It is also claimed prisoners have been subjected to isolation, shackling, sensory deprivation, and the use of strobe lights, loud music and temperature manipulation during interrogations.

Ben Payne