British missionaries held in Gambia on sedition charge

David and Fiona Fulton, originally from Troon, Scotland, appeared in court accused of attempting the undermine the country's government.

The Christian couple, who are connected with a pentecostal church in Bolton, moved to Africa 12 years ago and have a two-year-old adopted daughter who is also being detained.

There were fears for the health of 60-year-old Mr Fulton, who is being held separately from his 46-year-old wife in a notorious high-security prison outside the capital Banjul. Friends say he is in poor heath and refusing food.

A Foreign Office spokesman said they had been in daily contact with the couple since their arrest on Saturday. Gambia, a tiny West African state with a majority Muslim population, has been ruled by President Yahya Jammeh since he seized power in a 1994 coup. His record on human rights and civil freedoms has been questioned after a crackdown on anyone who has criticised the government.