Gordon Brown presses for release of kidnapped UK couple

Published on Monday 8 March 2010 21:04

PRIME Minister Gordon Brown called for swift action to secure the release of a British couple held by pirates when he held talks with the president of Somalia.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were captured by Somalis while sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania in October last year.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister raised their case yesterday when he met President Sharif Ahmed, who is visiting the UK.

A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister welcomed an assurance from the president that his government was doing everything within its power to ensure their safe and swift release.

"He made clear that the Chandlers should be urgently reunited with their family.

Meanwhile, the Chandlers, from Kent, are temporarily together. Dr Mohamed Elmi Hangul, who treated the couple last month, said the pirates had told him they had since been reunited.

He said: "The two hostages were in different locations but I advised the guys to reunite the couple, because both of them were worrying about their separation, but they now told me that the two people have reunited already."

The Foreign Office refused to comment on his claims.

Dr Hangul said Mr Chandler had general pain, a cough and an eye infection, and Mrs Chandler was "very anxious" because she was away from her husband.

In their most recent television interview, via telephone with a Somali broadcaster, Mrs Chandler said she was "very tormented and very, very lonely and worried".

Mr Chandler added: "This is torture, we have never in our married life been apart this long. We have our anniversary next Sunday. We will have been married 29 years."

The Chandlers are among more than 130 sailors being held captive in Somalia.