A SCOT is among five Britons killed by a freak flash flood while on a hiking tour in Oman. The British Embassy in Oman last night identified the dead Scot as Mr William Love from Tassie Street, Shawlands, Glasgow.

Mr Love, believed to be aged 28 and single, worked for Canadian-based company Northern Telecom and travelled extensively in England and abroad.

Eight people drowned when surging waters surprised a party of 26 people treking through Wadi Bimaah, known as the Snake Gorge, near Rustaq. One person was injured.

Mr Love and another man, Mr Andrew Deller, 34, a former soldier from Sussex, were reported to have saved the life of a woman member of the party before they were both swept away and drowned.

One other British victim was identified as Karen Salt who had relatives in Oman. Her address in Britain was unknown. A fourth British victim had not been formally identified and police were still searching for the body of a fifth victim, also believed to be British.

Neighbours of Mr Love in Shawlands said they rarely saw him except at weekends.

One, Mr Derek Fee, said: ``It is a shock. I saw him about two or three weeks ago and he told me he was having his hair cut because he was going to Oman.'' Mr Muir Whitelaw said: ``He was a very nice chap, but worked away a lot. The only time I really saw him was in the street or shopping at weekends.''

Mr Love's mother was not at the family home in Roslea Drive, Dennistoun, last night.

The other victims were two American men and a Dutch woman.The US Air Force in Saudi Arabia said the Americans who died were airmen and named them as Zane May and Captain Scott.

A British Embassy spokesman in Muscat said: ``They were terribly unlucky. There is always a risk when going on these excursions, but it was a popular tour and people don't really expect any danger.''