Miliband warns of piracy danger

Minister Bob Ainsworth praised the capture of suspected pirates

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said that piracy in Somalia "is a grave danger to stability in the region".

He spoke after pirates anchored hijacked Saudi oil tanker the Sirius Star off the Somali coast. Two further vessels were also seized on Tuesday.

Mr Miliband said the Royal Navy was working to help resolve the situation.

The government has called for the immediate release of the 25-man crew of the tanker, which includes two Britons. All are said to be safe.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that one of the Britons is the tanker's chief engineer. The other holds the rank of Second Officer.

The Sirius Star, which is carrying 2m barrels of oil, was captured on Saturday 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Somali coast in the Indian Ocean.

Royal Navy role

Mr Miliband spoke as he arrived in Beirut for talks with the Lebanese authorities. He said Britain had a leading role in the European effort to tackle piracy.

"The United Kingdom is very worried about the piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in Somalia," he said.

We call on those holding the [Britons] to release them and the rest of the crew immediately Bob Ainsworth Armed Forces Minister Navy hands over pirate suspects

"The Royal Navy is coordinating the European response as well as contributing to the international mission there.

"Obviously, the problem of piracy around Somalia is a grave danger to the stability in the region."

Earlier, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said the government's thoughts were with the Britons on board the Sirius Star and their families.

"We call on those holding the men to release them and the rest of the crew immediately," he said.

In a separate incident, the Royal Navy has handed over eight suspected Somali pirates to the Kenyan authorities, after they were captured by Royal Marines who were aboard HMS Cumberland in the region last Tuesday.

The MoD said the suspects were on a fishing dhow which had been seen taking part in an attack on the Danish ship MV Powerful earlier in the day.

'Gates of hell'

Mr Ainsworth, speaking in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, said the operation was "clear evidence that we will take every opportunity to combat the pirates who disrupt legitimate trade and add significant costs to goods UK consumers rely on".

"We are sending a strong message to pirates that their activities will not be tolerated and that the global community is united in its efforts to deter and disrupt them," he added.

The RMT union, which represents seafarers, urged ministers to push for more patrols to help protect ships in the region.

General secretary Bob Crow said: "Like all workers, seafarers should be able to work without the fear of imminent attack, and the ordeal faced by seafarers held to ransom is unimaginable.

"The scale of the problem is now so big that the Gulf of Aden, where so many seizures have taken place, is known among mariners as the 'gates of hell'."