Hostage pressure on government

Published on Monday 1 February 2010 21:53

THE government came under pressure yesterday over its decision to refuse to negotiate a ransom demand with Somali pirates holding a British couple hostage.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were captured while sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania more than three months ago.

A not-for-profit organisation set up to tackle piracy has demanded permission to negotiate a payment for the couple's release.

Chairman of the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre Nick Davis said: "The door is open for them to be released. Somebody needs to pick up the gauntlet. We are the people who know what needs to be done, we can do it, we just need to be allowed to do it."

Mr Davis said he arranged a 100,000 deal to start talks with the pirates in November. But he said the Foreign Office did not return his calls, the deal was not pushed forward and the chance to free the hostages was missed.

He said: "People are forgetting the key issue. Paul and Rachel have not got a clue what's going on. They are sat there in a hell hole wondering why people aren't helping them."

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister's view is that hostage taking is never justified and we would like to repeat the government's call that Paul and Rachel Chandler should be released immediately and unconditionally."