Police stop two 'visitors' for Malala

Two people were stopped by police at the hospital where shot Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai is being treated and claimed to be her relatives. One reportedly said she was the girl's mother, although Malala's family have not yet travelled to the UK.

They were stopped by police in a public area of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and questioned before being told they would not be allowed to see her.

A hospital boss initially said a number of people had been arrested and early reports yesterday pointed out that Malala, 14, was still believed to be a target for Taliban activists.

But West Midlands Police said later there had not been any arrests and Dr Dave Rosser, medical director of the hospital, which treats British military casualties, said he did not believe there was a threat to her safety.

Malala was shot with two classmates last Tuesday as they made their way home from school in Swat, in the north-west of Pakistan.

She was attacked by the Taliban for promoting the education of girls.

She was treated by neurosurgeons in a Pakistani military hospital and transferred on Monday to the UK for specialised care.