A Shropshire sailor is the woman being held hostage in Iran, it was revealed today.

Send your messages of support – see below

Faye Turney, 26, pictured, from Oxon in Shrewsbury was the only woman among 15 British sailors and marines captured last Friday after boarding a dhow carrying suspicious cargo off the coast of Iraq.

She has a three-year-old daughter, Molly, who is being looked after by her husband Adam in Plymouth.

Mrs Turney’s family today spoke of the “very distressing time”, as intense diplomatic efforts aimed at securing the sailors’ release continue.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on behalf of her family said: “While we understand the media interest in the ongoing incident involving Faye, this remains a very distressing time for us and our family.

“We are grateful for the support shown to us by all personnel involved and appreciate it, but would request that our privacy is respected.”

Mr and Mrs Turney were married in 2002 at her family’s local church in Oxon.

Today the Reverend Mary Fearnside, who married the couple, said she and the whole community were praying for Mrs Turney’s safe return.

Reverend Fearnside, who also baptised the couple’s daughter on their wedding anniversary in 2003, said: “I got to know Faye through marriage preparation.

“We are all praying for Faye and for the family. We announced it in church on Sunday and asked everybody to pray for them and for a safe release.

“I think a lot of people had heard it before in our prayer choir.

“We knew what ship Faye was on and knew she was out there so when we heard there was just one woman captured we just clicked it was her.”

She said Mrs Turney’s mother and father were members of Oxon Church and her mother was a member of the church’s choir.

“I have spoken to the parents,” she said. “We are just praying for them and hold them in our prayers.”

The statement from the family comes after the British Government called the Iranian ambassador to another meeting to repeat demands for the 15 British service personnel to be released immediately.

• Send your messages of support for Faye Turney and her family by using the comment box below.

By Rebecca Lawrence and Sarah Bullock