British al-Qaida fighter arrested

A man claiming to be British has been arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of being a member of the al-Qaida organisation.

The man, who gave his name only as Yaqub, is 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.

Pakistani troops have stepped up patrols in the border region in an effort to trap Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida suspects who may be attempting to flee from Afghanistan.