A North Yorkshire businessman who was kidnapped by a gang in Ecuador has been rescued by police.
Colin Armstrong, of the Tupgill Park Estate and the famous Forbidden Corner attraction, was abducted by armed men from his ranch in the province of Los Rios in Ecuador on Saturday.
Video shot inside that property after the kidnapping showed bloodstains on bedclothes and the floor.
The gang drove their victim driven away in his own BMW, which was later found abandoned.
Now Ecuadorian police say they have recovered Mr Armstrong, 78, safe and well.
Ecuador police commander César Augusto Zapata Correa, said on X that officers had released Mr Armstrong. He added that nine people have been arrested, but did not provide any further details.
His post included a picture of Mr Armstrong, standing between two police officers and wearing dark tracksuit bottoms, a dark blue sweater, and a police baseball cap.
According to local media reports, a Colombian woman, believed to be Armstrong’s partner and named as Katherine Paola Santos, was also kidnapped. She is also understood to have since been released.
Police say their investigations are continuing.
The Tupgill Park Estate website says: “Colin is the founder of a large company in Ecuador called Agripac and Tupgill Park Estate, his childhood home, has been a labour of love for over 45 years.
“Without Colin we would have never developed the 500 acre estate to what it is today , welcoming over 150,000 people each year.”