Pirates who abducted a British couple in the Indian Ocean claimed today that the Chandlers would be taken to a make-shift floating prison off the Somali coast with a host of fellow hostages.

A leading pirate, who identified himself only by his first name Abdinor, said the couple would be moved to a ship anchored off the eastern coast of Somalia, where other hostages are thought to be held by guards carrying AK47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, pistols and knives.

Previous hostages have recounted how they were guarded day and night. Sailors released in August after four months in captivity on board the Italian-owned Buccaneer described mock executions and death threats.

Paul and Rachel Chandler arrived on African soil last night seven days after leaving the Seychelles but a spokesman for the pirates said they would now be taken back out to sea.

The couple, from Tunbridge Wells, had planned to sail in to the idyllic coast of Tanzania; instead, they spent the night under armed guard in the Somali village of Ceel Huur, near the pirate stronghold of Harardhere.

The pirates believe it will be safer for the couple to be kept on the ship with other hostages. It is not known how many Western kidnap victims are confined to the same ship but the EU naval force calculates that the Chandlers are among 174 hostages currently held by Somali pirates.

The pirate spokesman said Mr and Mrs Chandler were healthy and added that they had been taken briefly to the mainland to rest. The group is yet to make a ransom demand, he said.

Mr Chandler, 59, called home to Britain for the first time yesterday. He said the couple were being held on a container ship seized by the pirates earlier this month.

During the call with ITV News, Mr Chandler said the couple were incarcerated on the Kota Wajar, a ship which was hijacked on October 15. It is not clear if they would be returned to the same vessel today.

The retired quantity surveyor also described the terrifying moment when he and his wife, Rachel, 55, were taken hostage.

“I was off watch,” he said. “I was asleep and men with guns came aboard.”

He explained that the pirates had forced them to sail towards Somalia. When questioned whether his captors had asked for a ransom, Mr Chandler replied: “Not officially. They kept asking for money and took everything of value on the boat.” He was then asked how he was being treated but the line went dead.

Mr Chandler later spoke briefly to the BBC and said they were being treated well. He did not know whether negotiations were taking place or whether he and his wife were in Somalia. Asked if he had a message for his family or the British Government, he replied: “Nothing I can say.”

The couple’s abandoned yacht, the Lynn Rival, was found by a Royal Navy ship in international waters.

Mohamed Shakir, a pirate commander, told The Times that the pirates wanted to speak to the Chandlers’ family. “We want their family’s contact now. They must be worried about their safety. We are not gangsters, we know humanity.” He said that the Chandlers must be rich because they had travelled far and had money on their yacht.

Gordon Brown yesterday called on the pirates to release the Chandlers. “Piracy and the taking of hostages is unacceptable in any circumstances,” he said.

The next phase of the couple’s ordeal is likely to be a drawn-out ransom negotiation.

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