Paul and Rachel Chandler, kidnapped off their yacht near the Seychelles in October 2009, said they had been beaten when they refused to be separated. The two will have medical checks in Nairobi and then fly back to the United Kingdom, it said. Yacht loss 
 
 The long-term effects of their ordeal are unknown, with their family back in the UK asking "that everyone gives them the opportunity to adjust and return to their families and friends in the days to come". Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Rachel seemed intermittently weary but rallied to give a bright and moving description of her elation, her enthusiasm for the people of Somalia, and her relief at no longer being surrounded by criminals” End Quote Andrew Harding BBC correspondent 
 
 Details were not released by the Chandler family in the UK, who issued a statement saying: "The family believes it would be irresponsible to discuss any aspect of the release process as this could encourage others to capture private individuals and demand large ransom payments, something that we are sure none of us wants." BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the ransom paid for their eventual release had been "the best part of $1 million". Government condemnation 
 
 The British government welcomed the news of the Chandlers' release, with Prime Minister David Cameron "unreservedly" condemning the captors. Officials have said doing so would only encourage more kidnappings. "The government will not make substantive concessions for hostage takers, including the payments of ransom," the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement.
– The retired British couple who was released yesterday after a year held hostage by pirates who seized them as they sailed the ocean in their yacht opened up about their ordeal, saying one of their most difficult parts was being severely beaten when they refused to be separated during their captivity. "We were really distraught, we were very frightened at that point," said Rachel Chandler, 56. She and her husband were held in harsh conditions in intense heat in Somalia throughout their captivity. Paul Chandler said the two were still relatively healthy, though "rather skinny and bony," reports the BBC. Details of any ransom paid were not revealed, though it's believed to be close to $1 million. The pirates initially demanded $7 million for their release. A payment of some $430,000 last summer failed to free the couple. "Throughout the protracted discussions with the pirates it has been a difficult task for the family to get across the message that these were two retired people on a sailing trip on a small private yacht and not part of a major commercial enterprise involving tens of millions of pounds of assets," said a statement issued by the couple's family.