A CHURCH service to pray for the safe release of aid worker and married father-of-two Alan Henning will be held on Thursday as the people of Bolton implore his captors to spare his life.

Mr Henning, aged 47, was captured by Islamic State (IS) who are threatening to kill him, it is understood, around Christmas time just after crossing into Syria from Turkey with a Bolton aid convoy delivering lifesaving supplies to people caught up in the conflict.

A special service at which prays will be said for Mr Henning will take place at St Matthew’s Church in Little Lever at 6.30pm.

Former councillor for Little Lever Sean Hornby said: “The service is to pray for Mr Henning’s safe release.

“He is a local person who went to help those suffering.

“This service is not just for the people of Little Lever but it is hoped the wider community can attend to pray for Mr Henning.”

This week Bolton Stop the War Coalition called upon his captors to release Mr Henning, from Salford, who travelled with friends from Bolton to Syria  to drop of desperately needed medical supplies.

Mr Henning also has family in neighbouring Bury.

Chairman of Bolton Stop the War Coalition, Neil McAlister said: “We implore Alan Henning's captors to spare his life Alan travelled to Syria to help save the children there.

Sadly his death will do nothing to dissuade Cameron and the British government from indulging in foreign wars and invading other people's countries.

“Those of us in the British Anti War Movement know this only too well.

“All it will do is deprive a wife of her husband and their children of a loving father.

“Alan is not an enemy of the people of Syria. Please release him unharmed.”

The threats made to Mr Henning’s life were shown at the end of a video released on Saturday showing the barbaric killing of British Hostage David Haines.

Mr Henning, a former cab driver, had travelled from Bolton to Syria with eight other volunteers from the town.

It has emerged that Al Qaida asked IS to release Mr Henning four days after he was captured, according to American filmmaker Bilal Abdul Kareem.

He told the Independent that Jabhat al-Nusra, a local commander of an al Qaida group in Syria, had criticised the kidnappers, saying they had no right to take Mr Henning hostage simply because he was non-Muslim.

Mr Kareem said he had spoken to Mr al-Nusra shortly afterwards and he seemed confident IS would release their British hostage.

Mr Kareem also claimed other rival groups had pleaded with IS to release the aid worker, saying it would harm those people who need food and help.