Claims that MI6 "did not want" a doctor returned from a Syrian jail to the UK has emerged at an inquest into his death.

The coroners’ court also heard that his grief-stricken family believed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was "dithering" in the weeks after his capture in November 2012.

Dr Abbas Khan, 32, travelled to war-torn Syria to save injured civilians but was arrested in Aleppo, tortured and held in captivity until his death on December 16, 2013.

His family, backed by Bradford Respect MP George Galloway, are adamant the doctor, who used to work at Epsom Hospital, was murdered. But Syrian authorities claim he hung himself, just days before his promised release.

His brother Dr Afroze Khan told the Epsom Guardian that last Tuesday: "I gave some evidence that I was told by an individual, who also gave evidence, that MI6 had intimated that they did not want my brother to be returned."

The anonymous witness, referred to as Mr B during proceedings, has connections with Syrian intelligence and reportedly met with a government official thought to be from MI6.

Dr Afroze Khan said if the allegation is true then M16 would need to answer why the humanitarian worker was not wanted back.

He said: "If it’s true, it’s a scandal. A man has died. It’s a tragedy."

The following day the coroner’s court, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, heard about the FCO's efforts to find Dr Khan after he walked out of a hospital and went missing.

The country’s most senior coroner, Peter Thornton, read out an email sent by Dr Afroze Khan on December 7, two weeks after his brother was detained.

The email said: "It’s frustrating the FCO is demonstrating considerable inertia and in my opinion dithering." After eight months, Dr Khan's courageous mother Fatima travelled to Syria, went to prisons, embassies and government offices and managed to finally track down her beloved son.

There is no British Embassy in Syria and diplomatic relations with this country had broken down.

Therefore the FCO first sent a diplomatic communication, known as a note verbale, through the Hungarian Embassy which was acting as a go-between "protecting power".

Shortly afterwards the Hungarian Embassy in Syria closed down and in mid-January another note verbale was sent through the Czech Embassy. The British Embassy in Paris also contacted the Syrian Embassy in Paris in December.

Counsel for the inquest, Samantha Leek QC, said a government ministry had told the family that they wanted an official letter from the FCO.

When asked why this could not be sent, witness Joanna Roper, director of consular services, said: "It’s quite important that you maintain single channels of communication rather than trying to confuse the channels of communication."

She added: "We had not heard anything through official channels saying they wanted an official letter."

Regarding communication with the family, Ms Roper said: "We had a lot of conversations, a lot of contact with the family, Dr Khan’s sister, but also with MPs and interested parties who wanted to know what was going on."

Yesterday the jury were told about the steps taken by the FCO up until February 2013. The inquest continues today.

A Facebook page, run by his sister Sara, said: "The jury heard from Afroze Khan and another witness about intelligence services and them having knowledge of Abbas Khan's detention and questions were then raised as to their role in Abbas' death.

"Jury also hear statements from myself, Sara, as to the utter lack of efforts from F&CO."