Chandlers speak of kidnap hell

Rachel and Paul Chandler have been reliving their kidnap ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates.

In an interview to be screened on ITV1's Tonight Special on Sunday, the couple spoke of how they reconciled themselves to being killed by their ruthless captors.

They were snatched during a round-the-world sailing trip, when their 38ft yacht, the Lynn Rival, was stormed by armed men. A ransom, reportedly paid by a mixture of private investors and the Somali government, secured their release and ended the 388-day ordeal.

Mrs Chandler said: "We were ready to die with dignity." Her husband added: "We would have welcomed it then. We would have thought, they don't get any money and its a quick end for us, because we could see it dragging on for a very long time."

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mrs Chandler said she contemplated suicide as she and her husband were held captive.

The 56-year-old woman from Kent said she was tormented by her guards, who would claim her husband Paul had been killed or had left her.

At her lowest, she thought of ending her own life, but knew she had to stay strong for her family.

She said: "When I thought of Paul and my family, I knew I could never kill myself. I could never do that to them. I had to stay strong. But I knew it would be easy to slit my wrists. I had a razor blade."