International peacekeepers in Bosnia cannot take any action against Mr Karadzic as Montenegro is

International peacekeepers in Bosnia cannot take any action against Mr Karadzic, as Montenegro is out of their jurisdiction. The tiny republic is part of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro Mr Karadzic went underground eight years ago. He was indicted for genocide by the international war crimes tribunal for his part in the 1992-95 Bosnian war, which claimed more than 200,000 lives, most victims being non-Serbs. “My brother will never surrender to The Hague [war crimes tribunal],” Luka Karadzic said recently.

“He is being protected by God and his people.” According to well-placed international security agencies, Mr Karadzic allegedly spends his time between Niksic, a small town where he grew up in central Montenegro, and the nearby Serbian Orthodox monastery of Ostrog. They searched the houses of Mr Karadzic’s brothers Luka and Ivan in Belgrade and the neighbouring town of Obrenovac.

Montenegrin police searched the family home of the Karadzics in Niksic on Thursday last week, seizing videos, photographs, address books, computer disks and a computer, Mr Karadzic’s brother Luka confirmed. “As long as people don’t start viewing it as some kind of extreme sport, I’ve got no problem with it. All it’s about, really, is curiosity.” “And never properly growing up,” adds Stoop, grinning.For further information visit /urbex; ; . With pressure mounting for the capture of Radovan Karadzic before the 10th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, police have searched the homes of the Bosnian Serb leader’s relatives amid reports that he may be hiding in Montenegro

Serbian police were not idle over the weekend. There’s one guy who moves from country to country, getting new jobs, for no other reason than to access new drains. It’s like an infinite adventure.”Not so for explorers above ground, who are always on the lookout for new places to visit as existing places are demolished.

Simon’s website is developing into a huge historical document as places he’s visited vanish and reminiscences and titbits of information come in from people who worked in and around the various buildings. While reading, it’s difficult not to become bitten by the urban exploration bug; does it bother him that the pursuit might be damaged as more people become involved? “If people want to explore, fine – as long as they obey the rules.” Jondoe echoes Simon’s view. “I’ve walked away from buildings I couldn’t get into,” he says. “We damage nothing, and we leave everything as we found it.” This, though, won’t wash with security guards who are employed to prevent trespass, which is after all a civil offence.The thrill of avoiding detection and of being somewhere without permission, though, is a motivation for many explorers. Jondoe and Stoop’s obsession is with the drains that run beneath London that are only possible to access through manhole covers Their strategy is to wear a fluorescent jacket and hard hat “People ignore you You almost become invisible,” explains Jondoe.

“They’re the most astonishing places that no one gets to see,” enthuses Stoop “Waterfalls, plugholes, cavities, sluice gates. “This used to be one of the best,” says Simon, picking his way through bricks and charred planks. A number of times during the day, he refers angrily to the “little arsonists” who prevent these places from decaying at their own pace.Urban explorers are bound together by a deep respect for the properties they visit. If the movement had a motto, it would be the phrase that appears on many of the websites – “take only photos, leave only footprints” – and Simon’s curious streak doesn’t extend to breaking and entering. “You’d never get a ‘wow moment’ like this in, say, an old post office.”In a chilly room, Marlon sits on the edge of a large hole in the floor, his legs dangling down.

“To get to the other buildings, we have to use the service tunnels,” he explains. Simon hands me a torch, and straps a light to his own head before lowering himself through the gap Bent double, we manoeuvre our way forward. “Don’t be freaked out if you see lights in the distance,” says Marlon, “there’s still power down here.”This feels like intrepid exploration, and after walking for five minutes, a shaft of light appears. We clamber up past a rusting air-conditioning system and into the main hall – it’s completely burnt-out, with the metal girders of the roof arching in Marlon and Simon look disconsolate.