11:22pm UK, Friday October 30, 2009

Mark Langford, Sky News Online

Somali pirates have demanded a $7m ransom for the safe release of Britons Paul and Rachel Chandler.

The 59-year-old retired quantity surveyor and his economist wife Rachel, 55, were kidnapped while sailing in the Indian Ocean.

They had been taking their vessel, the Lynn Rival, from the Seychelles towards Tanzania.

Somali journalist Abukar Albadri told Sky News he had spoken to one of the gang who had abducted the Chandlers.

He said he was told the US$7m (£4.2m) was an opening gambit for the kidnappers in negotiations with the Chandlers’ family and the Foreign Office.

“The pirate told me it is not official. This demand is the first they issue to the Foreign Office and the family,” he said.

Mr Albadri said the couple were being held in a Singapore-flagged container ship, the Kota Wajar.

The ship was seized by the pirates earlier this month and is believed to be moored off the Somali port of Harardhere, a pirate stronghold.

“Sometimes they take them off to the mainland then back to the ship so they can’t escape,” he said.

Paul and Rachel Chandler

In a phone call to the BBC one of the pirates said: “If they do not harm us, we will not harm them – we only need a little amount of seven million dollars.

“They have been captured by our brothers, who patrol the coast. We have been informed about their presence in the area, where bandits operate.”

Pirates from the turbulent East African region often claim to be coastguards.

The man further claimed the amount would cover damage caused by Nato.

“Nato operations have had a lot of negative impact here, they have destroyed a lot of equipment belonging to the poor local fishermen,” he asserted.

A Foreign Office spokesman said it was aware of the reported ransom demand.

However, he added: “The Government isn’t going to make any substantive concessions to hostage-takers, and that includes the payment of ransom.”