Ship captains in the Indian Ocean are using a new tactic to keep pirates away – songs sung by U.S. pop star Britney Spears. An officer with Britain's merchant navy , Rachel Owens, said Britney Spears' songs did a good job against Somali pirates. Ms Owens, 34, said: " 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." A spokesman for a security company said playing loud pop music was an effective way of stopping attacks on ships. He said not all shipping companies chose Britney Spears' music. He added: "Each security company will have its own music choice."