Families plead for tanker hostages

The families of two British men being held hostage on the Sirius Star, a Saudi oil tanker hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, have appealed for their safe return. Peter French, 44, from County Durham is the ship's chief engineer, while James Grady, from Strathclyde, is its second officer.

In a brief statement issued through the foreign office, the families expressed their hope that the two men would come home safely soon. Meanwhile, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal confirmed that the ship's owners are negotiating a ransom with the Somali pirates.

The Sirius Star, the largest vessel ever to be hijacked, is carrying 2m barrels of oil, equivalent to one quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output, worth $100m. The pirates initially demanded $20m, but are thought to have now reduced their ransom.

Yesterday, the Indian navy fired on and sank a "mother ship" belonging to Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden