ONE of the tourists going on a holiday to Iraq organised by a Swindon author today shrugged off the danger in spite of Foreign Office warnings.

Hotelier Phil Lalani, 37, has no qualms about joining a party of 10 who are due to go to the country with Don Lucey in September.

Former soldier and police officer Mr Lucey, whose travel firm is called Bann Tours, is best-known in the Swindon area as the author of The Woman Who Wouldn't Die.

Mr Lucey, who fell in love with Iraq during a stint as a civilian worker there last year, said: "There are ways and means of arranging visits so as not to draw attention to yourself, and we shall be taking every precaution.

"Iraq is a beautiful place, the people are lovely and their country is the cradle of civilisation."

The precautions include releasing hardly any information about the itinerary or the routes to be taken.

Mr Lucey also pointed out that the trip was taking place not now but in several months' time.

One person who has expressed an interest is the father of Welsh classical singing sensation Charlotte Church.

Charlotte has been reported as being worried about dad James, but he has reassured his family that all precautions are being taken.

He signed up for the trip after a chance meeting with Mr Lucey in a Welsh hotel last year.

Also among those who are happy to join Mr Lucey is Mr Lalani, who runs the Clifton-ville Hotel in Blackpool and is an old family friend of the Luceys.

He said: "Iraq seems like a very interesting place to visit.

"I have never visited the Middle East, and it's one of those places I would like to visit, especially at such a crucial point in its history.

"I have friends who saw the Berlin Wall come down, and I have always regretted not being there to see it myself.

"I am looking forward to the trip and I completely trust Don because I have known him for many years and I know he would not put us in danger."

Mr Lucey's book tells the story of the premature death of his wife Christine, from cancer after a series of misdiagnoses, and the fight for justice which eventually saw him receive £420,000 in compensation.

He used the money to help secure the future of daughter Rebecca, now 16.

Information about the book is on www.thewomanwhowouldntdie.com.

And details of Bann Tours is on www.banntours.co.uk.

Insurance is £450

THE week-long trip to Iraq does not come cheap because of the logistics involved, not least the complications involved in getting holidaymakers to a strife-torn zone.

Mr Lucey says the cost will be some £1,200 each. But that does not include insurance.

Traditional travel insurance simply does not extend to danger zones, and life insurance policies tend to cover death but not the associated expenses of shipping a body back to Britain.

Insurance broker David Turnbull, of Cirencester-based EH Morgan and Son, said his first point of advice was that an independent financial adviser should always be consulted.

He said that Lloyds of London would be able to provide a package of cover for everything from death and injury to the loss of documents for a flat premium of about £450.

Don't go ... official

CURRENT Foreign Office advice for people planning a journey to Iraq can be summed up in one word: don't.

With pro-Saddam factions launching many attacks, including suicide bombings, on coalition troops, and civilian workers being kidnapped and some brutally executed, the British Government says nobody should visit the country unless they have a compelling reason.

The latest Foreign Office advice bulletin says in part: "We advise against all but the most essential travel to Iraq. The security situation is dangerous, and there continue to be widespread outbreaks of violence.

"Even essential travel to Iraq should be delayed if possible."

DON Lucey insists that every precaution will be taken to ensure that September's planned trip is a safe one.

Although he acknowledges that there are potential dangers, he believes it would be a shame for people to deprive themselves of seeing such an ancient country, especially one which has been largely hidden from the west for so long.

Mr Lucey is a former soldier and police officer with extensive experience in security.

He said: "I went to Iraq after the end of the conflict last year as a civilian worker and immediately fell in love with the place.

"It is a beautiful country whose civilisation goes back thousands of years, and its people are wonderful and friendly in spite of all that happened to them under Saddam."

Security precautions already in place include keeping the precise details of the itinerary, including travel dates and planned routes, confidential.