A south-coast editor was kidnapped and taken to a safe house where he had to beg for cash to secure his release.

Express and Echo news chief Marc Astley was preparing for morning conference when he was handcuffed, bundled into a fire engine and then carted off to a holding bay in Exeter along with nine other hostages.

Confirmed reports say that none of his staff attempted to halt the kidnap and one photographer even made him pose for a picture with his captors (below).

Once there he was shown a telephone and told to get dialling to plead for cash if he wanted to see his loved ones again.

Marc was one of ten high-profile locals who allowed themselves to be captured without warning for the day in a bid to raise money for the city's Multiple Sclerosis Centre.

The centre provides therapy, support and advice to people from across the region living with the disease with Marc alone raising just under £1,000 from concerned friends and family keen to see his safe return.

Once back in the relative safety of the Express and Echo newsroom, Marc said: "It was actually quite draining phoning around asking for ransom donations. But people were exceptionally generous.

"It was a great day and I'd like to thank the South West MS Centre and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service who, despite being our captors, looked after us extremely well.

"I'd also like to thank everyone who paid for my release even those who chipped in a bit extra in an attempt to keep me in."

The MS centre needs over £70,000 a year to keep going and the kidnap event alone raised around £6,500.

Marc with his captors Emma Davey and Alan White from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service