Countess's acceptance of Bahraini jewels criticised

The Countess of Wessex's acceptance of jewels from Bahrain's royal family has been criticised amid reports of human rights abuses in the Gulf kingdom.

Denis MacShane, a former Foreign Office minister, said the gift should be sold to benefit victims of civil unrest there.

Buckingham Palace said items given in an official capacity become part of the Royal Collection. An official list of presents shows the Countess received a "suite of jewels" from King Hamad Al-Khalifa and Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa.