THE family of bank manager Peter Shaw, who spent over four months in captivity in Georgia, have been celebrating his dramatic escape.

Mr Shaw, who was manager of Midland Bank in Pembroke from 1978 to 1981, dodged bullets during a shoot-out between his captors and Georgian troops.

The Welsh businessman is co-director of the Agro-Business bank working on behalf of the European Commission in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, and was kidnapped outside his Georgian home by armed gunmen on June 18th. For the last four months he was kept in the dark in a hole in the ground and was not able to walk.

He said that on the day of his escape four people came and took him from his prison' to the top of a mountain, and as gunfire began he rushed into some bushes and managed to make his escape.

One of the hostage-takers is believed to have been killed.

There had been some concern for his health because he was on medication, but he was said to be in good health and was reunited with his Georgian girlfriend and their three-year-old son.

He also has three children from his first marriage, and three grandchildren, one of whom was born while he was held captive. He was overcome with emotion to be met by them at Heathrow Airport on Thursday.

Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock was delighted at Peter Shaw's release. 'This is fantastic news. I have spoken to Peter's family and they are naturally ecstatic to hear that he is safe and well. He has endured four and a half months of terrible uncertainty in circumstances we can't imagine,' she said.