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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Ransom demanded for yacht couple | Ransom demanded for yacht couple |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Somali pirates who have kidnapped a couple from Kent have issued a ransom demand of $7m (£4.3m) in a call to the BBC. | Somali pirates who have kidnapped a couple from Kent have issued a ransom demand of $7m (£4.3m) in a call to the BBC. |
| Paul and Rachel Chandler, aged 59 and 55, from Tunbridge Wells, were taken hostage by gunmen in the Indian Ocean in the early hours of 23 October. | Paul and Rachel Chandler, aged 59 and 55, from Tunbridge Wells, were taken hostage by gunmen in the Indian Ocean in the early hours of 23 October. |
| They had been travelling to Tanzania from the Seychelles and their yacht was later found in international waters. | They had been travelling to Tanzania from the Seychelles and their yacht was later found in international waters. |
| The caller said: "If they do not harm us, we will not harm them." | The caller said: "If they do not harm us, we will not harm them." |
| He added: "We only need a little amount of $7m." | He added: "We only need a little amount of $7m." |
| He said the couple had been captured by "our brothers who patrol the coast". | He said the couple had been captured by "our brothers who patrol the coast". |
| Explaining the decision to set the ransom at $7m, the caller said: "Nato operations had a lot of negative impact here. | Explaining the decision to set the ransom at $7m, the caller said: "Nato operations had a lot of negative impact here. |
| "They have destroyed a lot of equipment belonging to the poor local fishermen. | "They have destroyed a lot of equipment belonging to the poor local fishermen. |
| "They arrest fishermen and destroy their equipment. | "They arrest fishermen and destroy their equipment. |
| "In defiance to our local administrations, they illegally transfer the fishermen to their own prisons and prisons of other [foreign] countries. | |
| "So when you consider the damage and all the people affected we say the amount is not big." | "So when you consider the damage and all the people affected we say the amount is not big." |
| The BBC's East Africa Correspondent Will Ross said the pirates had held talks for several hours in Haredere on the Somali coast. | The BBC's East Africa Correspondent Will Ross said the pirates had held talks for several hours in Haredere on the Somali coast. |
| He said they were trying to agree how much money they wanted for the release of the pair. | He said they were trying to agree how much money they wanted for the release of the pair. |
| The couple's empty yacht was found during counter-piracy operations | The couple's empty yacht was found during counter-piracy operations |
| He added that in previous cases pirates had begun negotiating with an extremely high figure, and then settled for far less. | He added that in previous cases pirates had begun negotiating with an extremely high figure, and then settled for far less. |
| Responding to the ransom demand, the couple's niece, Leah Mickleborough, said: "We had no idea what the figure would be. We have seen the report on the BBC and we will look into it." | |
| The Foreign Office also said it was aware of the demand. | |
| A spokesman said: "The government isn't going to make any substantive concessions to hostage-takers, and that includes the payment of ransom." | |
| Earlier, Somali premier Omar Sharmarke said government officials were trying to explain to the pirates the couple could offer no commercial reward and they only had their boat, the Lynn Rival. | Earlier, Somali premier Omar Sharmarke said government officials were trying to explain to the pirates the couple could offer no commercial reward and they only had their boat, the Lynn Rival. |
| He said the government was doing what it could for the hostages. | He said the government was doing what it could for the hostages. |