Kidnapped Rachel Chandler Released

Kidnapped British yacht couple Paul and Rachel Chandler have been freed by their Somali pirate captors, ending their year-long captivity and  $1m (£600,000) was paid to the pirates to secure the release.

It is understood private individuals, including family and friends, locals and exiled Somalis, came up with the money.

The Chandlers' family said: "We are delighted," but have not yet released a formal statement.

Mrs Chandler, 57, reportedly told locals: "We were held in very difficult conditions. It's been a hard year."

Footage has been released showing the couple arriving at the heavily-guarded compound of the mayor of Adado, a central Somali town near the Ethiopian border.

Self-appointed mayor Mohamed Aden - who is attempting to rid his area of piracy - spoke to Sky News to confirm the Chandlers are in good spirits.

He said: "They are very happy and very, very excited to be alive and have their freedom back."

However he confirmed they had endured "horrific treatment" and apologised to the couple for their ordeal.

Mr Aden also spoke of the help provided by the local community, who he said had helped raise money to secure the couple's release.

The Chandlers were kidnapped 388 days ago when their yacht was hijacked off the idyllic shores of the Seychelles and they have been held the longest of any hostages in Somalia in recent memory.

Earlier this year alarming footage emerged showing the pair very thin and in low spirits after being separated and kept in solitary confinement for days at a time.

However, they have both now had medical checks and are said to be in "relatively good health", although they still appear thin.

In the latest footage, Mr Chandler, 60, is seen smiling and Mrs Chandler, explains how they got by using a Somali-English phrasebook.

When she is told her hosts are pleased they were released, Mrs Chandler replies: "I bet, you're not the only ones."

The couple ate breakfast and showered before boarding a flight to Nairobi, Kenya, where they will be given another medical assessment to determine when they can be flown home to the UK.

The British government has a strict policy of not paying any ransoms. The pirates had initially asked for $7m.

The Chandlers were kidnapped on October 23 last year, a day after leaving the Seychelles, where they had spent several weeks on holiday.

Kidnapped Rachel Chandler Released