Somali pirates invading vessels off the east coast of Africa are now being deterred by a deadly new deterrent – Britney Spears' songs.
According to reports, Britney's chart-topping singles, including Oops! I Did It Again and Baby One More Time, are being used by British naval officers to scare off pirates and is being reported as being more effective than heavy weaponry.
Merchant naval officer Rachel Owens told Metro, "Her songs were chosen by the security team because they thought the pirates would hate them most. These guys can't stand western culture or music, making Britney's hits perfect. As soon as the pirates get a blast of Britney, they move on as quickly as they can."
In 2011, there were 176 attacks on ships by gangs of bandits off the Horn of Africa. They are such a threat the Royal Navy has 1,500 sailors on 14 warships operating round-the-clock patrols in the area.
Ships in the region are in constant danger from gun-toting pirates boarding and kidnapping crews for multi-million-pound ransoms.
Meanwhile, Britney is currently preparing to release her eighth album, Britney Jean in December. It follows the single Work B*tch, although producer Will.i.am claimed the sound of this track is not indicative of the rest of the record. It is speculated that the record's sound is being fine-tuned for maximum efficiency against Somali pirates.
"Pirates will go to any lengths to avoid or try to overcome the music." Steven Jones, of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry, said.
"I’d imagine using Justin Bieber would be against the Geneva Convention." he added.
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