A man claiming to be British was under arrest in Pakistan today on suspicion of being a member of the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation.
The man, who gave his name only as Yaqub, was believed to have crossed the border from eastern Afghanistan when he was seized by the Pakistani authorities.
He had no documents but spoke English and Arabic and told the authorities he was a British national.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "The man is now is hospital in Peshawar.
"At first he said he was French but it then emerged he might be British. We are looking into the situation."
Pakistani troops have stepped up patrols in the border region in an effort to trap Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda suspects who may be attempting to flee from Afghanistan.
PA