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"We call on those holding the [Britons] to release them and the rest of the crew immediately

He said the Royal Navy was involved in efforts to resolve the situation.

"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 seizure at the weekend of the fully-laden oil tanker the Sirius Star by pirates 420 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia was of deep concern.

The Foreign Office confirmed that one of the British crew members on board the Saudi-owned Sirius Star is the tanker's chief engineer. The other holds the rank of Second Officer.

His call came as the US Navy confirmed the vessel, carrying around two million barrels of oil, has anchored off the coast of Somalia near the city of Harardera.

The vessel's operator, Dubai-based Vela International Marine Ltd, said the 25 crew on board - two Britons, two Poles, one Croatian, one Saudi national and 19 Filipinos - were believed to be safe.

Spokesmen for both Nato and the US Navy said they did not have any plans to intercept the Sirius Star.

Cyrus Mody, manager of the International Maritime Bureau - a specialised division of the International Chamber of Commerce - said it was very difficult for security patrols to intervene once a ship had been boarded.

"Once the pirates are on a vessel, you have the risk of the crew being used as human shields or being injured in crossfire.

"There could also be damage to the ship's cargo and very often they carry a mixed cargo - some hazardous, some not - so it is a very difficult judgment call."

The renewed fears about piracy came as it was announced today that eight suspected Somali pirates were handed over to the Kenyan authorities by the Royal Navy following an attempted hijacking in the Gulf of Aden last week.

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