The Brit couple seized by Somali pirates for a £4million ransom could be freed for just £100,000, an expert claimed yesterday.

Somali gun gangs often accept a fraction of their original demand - which is said to be likely as Paul and Rachel Chandler are not wealthy.

Local piracy expert Andrew Mwangura said: "The pirates realise now the Chandlers are not rich people. They will be persuaded to lower their demand, maybe to £100,000."

The thugs asked for the "little amount of $7million (£4.2 million)" for Paul, 59, and Rachel, 55, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent - seized on October 23 as they sailed from the Seychelles towards Tanzania. They claimed it would cover damage caused by Nato troops and also demanded the release of seven fellow hijackers held for trying to seize a French ship last week.

But the Foreign Office ruled out a cash deal and said it would not make "substantive concessions to hostage-takers and that includes the payment of ransom".

The gangs often free hostages for a fraction of the sum they originally asked for. In November 2008, pirates wanted £17million after seizing oil tanker MV Sirius Star, but settled for £2million two months later.

Last November also saw pirates set a £4million ransom for Danish vessel CEC Future. But they freed the crew after 10 weeks for around a quarter of that sum.

Source: mirror.co.uk

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