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Tanker hijack Britons on the way home
A County Durham man held hostage by pirates on a hijacked oil tanker should soon be on his way home.
Peter French, originally from Leamside, was one of two Britons on board the Sirius Star when it was seized in November.
Mr French, chief engineer, who is married with a 17-year-old daughter, and another British crewman, second officer James Grady, from Strathclyde, are said to be in good health and high spirits after their rescue.
The Saudi-owned Sirius Star was fully laden with two million barrels of oil when pirates boarded it taking the 25 crew on board hostage off the coast of Somalia.
After two months the crew was freed at the weekend when the 2million ransom was reported to have been paid by the ship's owners.
President of ship owners Vela International, Saleh K'aki said: "We are very relieved to know that all the crew members are safe and I am glad to say that they are all in good health and high spirits.
"This has been a very trying time for them and certainly for their families. We are very happy to report to their families that they will be on their way home soon."
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said the ship was being escorted out to sea by helicopter and they would be providing consular assistance to the two British men on board once they reach land.
A foreign news agency has reported that five of the pirates drowned with their share of the ransom after leaving the supertanker and that only three people survived by swimming for several hours to the shore.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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