LONDON, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- British police said Sunday that a man was being questioned after hoax e-mails were sent telling relatives of people missing following the Asian tsunami that their loved ones had died.

    In a statement, the police said they detained a 40-year-old man on New Year's Eve in an operation in Lincolnshire and seized computer equipment.

    The suspect was bailed but then rearrested on Saturday and transferred to London, the police added.

    A hoaxer who claimed to be from the British "Foreign Office Bureau" in Thailand, had sent bogus messages to those people who placed appeals on the British Sky News website, using the address ukgovoffice@aol.com.

    Stressing that the government would not use e-mail to inform people of a death, the police have urged anyone wanting information about friends, relatives and loved ones to continue using the British Foreign Office emergency number.

    According to the police, the hoax e-mailer could face charges of malicious communication or causing a public nuisance. Enditem