Missing explorer is seen ‘alive and well’ but Foreign Office won’t pay for rescue

 A British explorer who went missing after being caught up in fighting as he attempted to reach a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea is awaiting rescue after being spotted “alive and well”.

Benedict Allen was spotted near an airstrip on Wednesday and has asked for helicopter rescue, missionaries say.

Mr Allen is understood to have been marooned after fighting between tribes in the area cut off roads and bridges. He had not been seen since he was dropped into remote jungle three weeks ago without a phone or GPS.

Mr Allen was hoping to reach the Yaifo, thought to be one of the last tribes on Earth to have no contact with the outside world. His friend Frank Gardner, the BBC’S security correspondent, said Mr Allen had trekked “huge distances” to reach the airstrip.

Mr Gardner said: “Benedict Allen is not out of danger yet. He is marooned in a remote part of Papua New Guinea that is only reachable by air.”

The BBC correspondent said he was “quite annoyed with him as a friend” for leaving without a plan or proper communications equipment.

Whitehall sources said the Foreign Office would not pay for Mr Allen’s rescue out of public funds. As a result he is likely to have to fall on insurance or private donations.