UK couple held in the Gambia

2008-12-05 07:52

London - A British couple, thought to be missionaries, have been arrested in Gambia, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

A spokesperson declined to say when the pair were arrested or on what charges, but said British consular officials visited them in jail on Tuesday and earlier on Thursday and ensured they had legal representation.

A government source meanwhile confirmed reports that the couple were David and Fiona Fulton, who have ties to the Westhoughton Pentecostal Church in Bolton, near Manchester in northwest England.

"We can confirm that two British nationals have been arrested in Gambia," a spokesperson for the Foreign Office told AFP.

"Our consular staff visited the couple on December 2 and again on December 4 and they remain in daily contact with the couple and are providing consular assistance. The couple are very happy with that assistance.

"We can't go into details of the case but we are aware that the couple do have legal representation."

According to the church's website, the Fultons are in their eighth year in the small west African nation and have a son and a daughter.

Fulton is chaplain for the Gambian army and has a ministry on the river, which involves reaching villages only accessible by boat. His wife looks after terminally ill people, the website says.

Church officials were not available for comment late on Thursday.

- AFP