Britain denies blocking talks over Somalia hostage

Britain denied blocking an independant negotiaror from trying to agree a ransom for a British couple held hostage in Somalia.

Britain on Monday denied blocking an independent negotiator from trying to agree a ransom for a British couple held hostage in Somalia, but warned any such payment would encourage more kidnaps.

Maritime security expert Nick Davis claimed to have arranged talks with the Somali pirates holding Paul and Rachel Chandler to secure their release for about 100,000 pounds (160,000 dollars, 115,000 euros) last year.

However, he said the Foreign Office in London had failed to give the green light for the deal and that he had been forced to abandon the talks.

Davis was speaking after the Chandlers, who were seized from their yacht in the Indian Ocean on October 23, made their latest appeal for freedom.

The couple, who have been held in separate locations in central Somalia, were examined by a doctor last week who was accompanied by an AFP photographer, the first journalist to see them since they were seized.

Rachel Chandler: ''Please help us, these people are not treating us well.''

Looking pale, tired and distraught, Rachel Chandler pleaded to be reunited with her husband, saying: ''I'm old, I'm 56 and my husband is 60 years old. We need to be together because we have not much time left.''

She added: ''Please help us, these people are not treating us well.''

Davis, an ex-military consultant who advises shipping companies on security, said he was moved to help the Chandlers when he heard of their plight.

He made contact with the pirates and in November last year ''got an agreement that they would start talking at 100,000 pounds to effect Paul and Rachel's release.''

He subsequently contacted the Foreign Office but said he received no reply, adding: ''Clearly, they don't want my help.''

In the wrong place at the wrong time

- This is a couple that were in the wrong place at the wrong time - Davis, the chairman of the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre, told AFP in London.

''They shouldn't be there, they don't need to be there and there is more than enough capability to get them home immediately and that should be exercised.''

A Foreign Office spokesman denied blocking Davis' efforts but said it had a clear policy of not paying ransoms.

- We have never attempted to block any activity by Mr Davis - he said.

''Although there is no UK law against third parties paying ransoms, we counsel against them doing so because we believe that making concessions only encourages future kidnaps.''

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokeswoman appealed Monday for the Chandlers to be released ''immediately and unconditionally'', and Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was doing everything he could to help them.

''None of us are going to be satisfied until the Chandlers are safely home,'' Miliband told Sky News television, adding: ''There's a very high level of concern... we're using all the networks we do have in that part of the world.''

Davis expressed scepticism that Britain could secure the Chandlers' release and warned that if the pirates were not paid, they would "end up cutting their losses" and leaving the couple, perhaps in the hands of a terror group.

''I'd arranged 100,000 pounds to come from media sources for their story upon release,'' he said, adding: ''We're not asking for anything from the government.''

''The only thing we would be asking for from the government is assistance in actually logistically getting them out of Somalia and recovered to a warship.''

The pirates had originally demanded seven million dollars (4.7 million euros) for the couple's release, but Davis said they had likely realised this was a ''mistake'' and suggested they were now intent on clawing back their costs.

- This is expenses for keeping them alive, not a ransom for their release - he said.