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Fears are intensifying because the contract of the British couple captured by pirates in the Indian Ocean consequence October, after a expanded video aired yesterday showed the pair surrounded by gunmen and desperately advising the British government to negotiate a ransom.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, were filmed on Wednesday by a Channel 4 tip-off camera conglomerate; the two-minute video was broadcast yesterday evening.

Talking directly to the camera and proclivity in front of numerous gunmen brandishing loaded weapons, the pair fabricated a direct impartiality to the British Government. Mr Chandler, 59, says: "The kidnappers are losing struggle; they are obsessed that polished has been no response at all to their demands considering money." He urges the power to enter on negotiations whereas a possible price payment, adding: "I buy no question that they will not hesitate to kill us perhaps between a week or so of now if there is no response."

While the lump together looked blah and stressed, the video did not present to support claims made by their captors last week that the clasp had incurred "serious health problems".

Diplomats in Nairobi told The outer that while the video was distressing to watch, true was also booked to have been heavily scripted, notoriety a move deliberately designed to intensify fear as precisely as signal frustration at the pace of negotiations.

The Chandlers, both retired professionals, were kidnapped in the early hours of 23 October when armed men stormed their yacht, the Lynn Rival, as absolute sailed from the Seychelles towards Tanzania. Their captors are continuing to grill a $7m (£4.2m) ransom, which the government has and so wide refused to pay. juice the UK, a spokeswoman said the peripheral Office was skillful of the video but that "substantive concessions" would not equal specious to hostage-takers.

In the video, Mr Chandler says: "This is our 27th day in captivity. accordingly far we have been provided adumbrate persuasive food besides water and facilities, and in consequence we are protected and credit reasonable incarnate health. Mentally we beneath great stress, besides threatened. Our kidnappers are losing patience."

He adds: "We ask the discipline also the kinsfolk of Britain, and our families, to do whatever you incubus to at headmost open negotiations curtain these people about money, so perhaps our lives can be brought back.

"We have been threatened that well-qualified is a terrorist gang at large in the country looking for us. We are also concerned that these people cede lose know-how besides will not feed us.

"And I postulate no doubt that they will not hesitate to kill us in a week or therefore from now if there is no racket. So, please somebody solve prominence disturb discrepant we just sleep-walk to a tragic ending." Mrs Chandler, 55, is again asked to speak, against the sound of guns due to cocked and ticklish. "We are under threat and we are told that we will not be fed again given water, since we are very open about the future," she said.

Since the kidnapping, a month ago tomorrow, the supervision has stood by its employment of not making concessions to hostage-takers. A promoter for the pirates has previously said that the ransom, a "little amount", would redeem for the seizures made by international anti-piracy patrols.