Britons held on Kenyan border

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Four Britons are being held by Kenyan authorities after being arrested apparently leaving neighbouring Somalia, the Foreign Office says.

They were among several foreigners who were detained on the border of the two east African states, according to Kenyan police officials.

Foreign Office officials say they are trying to establish what happened.

Last month, the FO said it was looking into claims that Britons were injured or captured in fighting in Somalia.

Somalia is currently gripped by a power struggle between Islamists and government forces backed by Ethiopia.

'UK support'

Somalia's deputy prime minister had previously claimed that some support for the Islamist movement was coming from the UK.

Consular staff in Kenya are now trying to gain access to the four arrested Britons, an FCO spokeswoman said.

"I can confirm that Kenya is holding a number of British nationals and we have urgently requested consular access to them," she said.

She added: "There have been reports for some time that there were British nationals being held either in Somalia, Kenya, or Ethiopia and we have been pressing those governments for details."

'Group of 10'

A Kenyan police official said the Britons were among 10 foreigners who had been found fleeing Somalia.

The group, which also included two Americans, a Frenchman, a Tunisian woman, Syrians and other fighters of Arabic origin, would be deported, he said.

Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia in December to prevent the Islamic movement, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), from ousting the internationally recognised government from its stronghold in the west of the country.