NEWS of Judith Tebbutt's release has been welcomed.

Phil Lister, Ulverston town councillor, said: “It couldn’t be better news and I am so glad this lady’s ordeal has come to an end. I hope she can get back to her family as soon as possible and they must be tremendously relieved.

"I’d also like to put on record the council’s gratitude for whatever has been done behind the scenes and or armed forces who are doing their best to curtail this sort of activity in that region.”

Professor David Anderson, an expert in African studies at Oxford University, said: "While we must rejoice at her release and I am sure her family will be absolutely delighted to have this terrible anxiety brought to an end, we must wonder in this modern world what it is that causes this kind of thing to happen.

"The fact private individuals can resort to this is totally understandable but there needs to be more transparency about what happens to this money.”