Islamic fundamentalists driving pick-up trucks armed with heavy machine-guns are reportedly en route to Bahdo in Somalia to re-kidnap the Kentish yachting couple seized by pirates 10 days ago.

Pirate commander  Mohamed Shakir told The Times : ‘We heard they are on the way. I believe they will not succeed in confiscating the British couple.’ He denied a gun battle had already been fought between the rival groups for Paul and Rachel Chandler.

The couple, who were taken from their Rival 38, Lynn Rival while on passage from the Seychelles to Tanzania had been touted for a £4 million ransom, later dropped to £100,000. Their families will be dismayed by the news they are now the target of Islamicists. The history of release from such ‘ideological’ groups, rather than gangs simply after hard cash, is poor.