Lily's friend kidnapped at gunpoint and held for seven days

A friend of Lily Allen was held hostage handcuffed with his head covered for seven days after being kidnapped from a west London shop, police revealed today.

The singer told how the man was abducted at gunpoint with a colleague from the sports shop where he works and ransom demands for £75,000 were made to their families.

Scotland Yard's Kidnap Unit ended their ordeal after seven days but said the pair had been left traumatised.

Allen, 23, said she was " terrified" by what had happened to her friend, who she identified only as Charlie.

She said: "I just want to thank the Met Police. They did an incredible job. It was about money. He was in a car boot being driven around London before he was found. It was all over money."

The incident began on 2 August when six men, one armed with a handgun, entered the W10 sports shop on Ladbroke Grove and stole clothing. They also grabbed the two shop workers, who are in their 20s, and bundled them into a car outside the shop.

The two victims were driven to an address in Greenhaven Drive, Thamesmead and the ransom notes were sent.

When they were found they were wearing black plastic bags, were handcuffed and their heads were covered. Police said they were physically unhurt.

The singer spoke of the kidnap plot on the red carpet last night as she arrived to co-host the GQ Men of the Year awards at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Allen had earlier posted a message on her internet blog, thanking the police who rescued her friend for doing "an amazing job".

The singer faced being arrested herself recently after an alleged assault on a woman outside Ronnie Scott's jazz club in Soho. Allen was photographed apparently trying to punch the women over comments she made about the singer as she emerged from the venue.

Police have arrested six men in connection with the kidnapping incident. Four have been charged with conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy-to blackmail and false imprisonmentand appeared at Westminster magistrates court on 11 August.

A fifth has been charged with two offences of kidnap and one of robbery and remanded to appear at Camberwell magistrates court. A sixth has been released on bail pending further inquiries.