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Geordies, pirates and the 7 seas...


Dokko

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Pirates' Brit Captives: We're OK

 

One of two British hostages being held by Somali pirates has said they are being treated well - and was relaxed enough to ask the latest Newcastle score.

 

Chief engineer Peter French, from County Durham, is one of 25 crew members being beld on Saudi oil tanker the Sirius Star.

 

The 1,080ft ship, laden with two million barrels of oil, was seized on November 15, becoming the biggest vessel to be taken in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia during a recent spate of boardings.

 

The other Briton being held on the ship is James Grady, from Renfrewshire, the Sirius Star's second officer.

 

Speaking by telephone from the ship, Mr French told ITN News that his captives had not mistreated their prisoners and said he hoped to be able to speak to his family soon.

 

It was not clear whether he was being supervised by the pirates during the phone call.

 

He said: "The pirates - no problem whatsoever. We have had no mistreatment or anything.

 

"Hopefully we are going to get some more phone calls to our families soon. Our families don't have too much to worry about at the moment. All in all, we are not too badly off."

 

 

The chief pirate held the sword to the back of my head and told me to open the safe... The pirates got their $24,000 - the crew's wages - and were happy.

 

Captain Peter Newton tells about being hijacked en route to New Zealand

 

He asked about Newcastle United's latest match and when told they had drawn 0-0 away to Chelsea he said: "Excellent, that's a good score for us."

 

Referring to the crew, he said: "The boys are quite happy. We are talking to them all the time, reassuring them.

 

"Apart from the inconvenience of being locked up, our life is not too bad."

 

Mr French said the crew were allowed a measure of freedom by the pirates. "I don't mean we're locked up as in we're not locked up in cabins or anything, we go about our normal daily work. We're just continuing doing our normal day."

 

Mr Grady described the lightning speed of the hijacking. He said: "It was early on the 15th. Ship's time 0855 on board, and by two minutes past nine we were shown down, they had control of the bridge by then."

 

He said he had no idea how long it would take to resolve the situation.

 

 

 

David Miliband: 'We'll Pay No Ransom'

 

 

 

 

:colo:

 

(Can move it to the chat section mods, just i cant get in it properly from uni, and it is footie related as well  :razz:)

 

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