News organisations were tipped off about the alleged kidnapping of British model Chloe Ayling just two days after she was abducted, it has emerged. An email detailing the abduction was sent to Ayling's agent, the Daily Mirror, the Sun, and a journalist working for Channel 4's Dispatches programme on 13 July.
The email reportedly included images showing Ayling in a dazed state on the floor, with text claiming she was 'for sale by Russian mafia'. The Sun said its journalists initially missed the emails, while a Channel 4 spokesperson confirmed police contacted them and asked them not to publish the information to avoid hampering the investigation.
The Daily Mirror confirmed receiving the email but denied any attempt to sell the story, stating there was nothing to suggest it came from the kidnappers. Ayling told police she went to Italy for a photoshoot in July, was kidnapped upon arrival, and held for six days. She was released after telling her captor she had a young child.
Lukasz Pawel Herba, a Polish national living in Britain, was arrested by Italian police after escorting Ayling to the British consulate in Milan. The National Crime Agency, assisting local police, declined to comment on the email reports.
