Four detained over Tibet protests as flame arrives

THE Olympic flame approached the final destination of its long and sometimes contentious global tour yesterday, greeted by rapturous crowds in the Chinese capital two days before it officially launches the games.

Amid the celebrations however, two British Free Tibet campaigners remained in custody in the country after unfurling a Tibetan flag outside the Olympic stadium. Lucy Fairbrother, 23, and Iain Thom, 24, were arrested in Beijing alongside two US activists. All four are expected to be deported at the earliest opportunity, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.

As the British Embassy in the Chinese capital continued to try to get access to the pair, who are members of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), their families spoke of their pride.