FREED couple, Paul and Rachel Chandler, are set for an emotional reunion with friends and family with their expected return to the UK today.

The retired pair, who were held captive by Somali pirates for more than a year, had been undergoing medical checks in Nairobi.

Yesterday, Jill Marshment, of Dock Lane, Bredon - the sister of Mr Chandler - told the Journal she was “very very pleased” by news the 60-year-old and his wife Rachel would be coming home.

The couple, who live in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were held hostage by Somali pirates for almost 13 months when their yacht, Lynn Rival, was boarded off the Seychelles in October 2009.

News of their release emerged on Sunday (14) after the reported payment of a £600,000 ransom, although there has been no official confirmation of this.

They were initially taken to Adado, central Somalia, near the Ethiopian border but were later transferred to Mogadishu and then Kenya.

Mr and Mrs Chandler are also coming to terms with the tragic news that Paul’s father died while they were being held captive.

Earlier this year, pirates threatened to kill the couple if their demands for £4.4m were not met.

The Chandler’s family feared media speculation was influencing their captors’ actions and opted for a super-injunction which put a blanket ban on coverage of the kidnap.

In a statement released on Sunday (14), family members said the couple were “in good spirits although very tired and exhausted by their experience”.

“Paul and Rachel have asked us to thank all those around the country who have offered support during their ordeal and the professional advisors who have worked around the clock to secure their release,” they said.