Oscar Pistorius prison release delayed

Oscar Pistorius will not be released from prison on Friday, it has been announced.

The decision from Justice Minister Michael Masutha follows substantial controversy over the parole board's prior approval, which he described as having been made too soon and "without any legal basis".

The decision on when Pistorius will leave prison will now be reviewed by the parole board, he said.

Following the announcement, a Pistorius family spokesperson told ITV News: "We accept the decision by the Minister of Justice and are considering our options."

However, an unnamed Pistorius family member told the Reuters news agency: "We are shocked and disappointed that Oscar won't be home this Friday."

Pistorius, who was jailed less than a year ago, was due to serve the rest of his five-year sentence under "correctional supervision" - a form of house arrest.

On Monday, prosecutors filed an appeal calling for the former Paralympic champion to be convicted of the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.The 28-year-old athlete was convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide over the model's killing.

He claimed he thought she was an intruder when he fired four gunshots through a locked bathroom door at his home on Valentine's Day 2013, but this week's appeal repeated allegations that he had intended to kill her following an argument.

Today's decision comes on what would have been Steenkamp's 32nd birthday.

To mark the occasion, her family scattered flowers into the sea at Summerstrand beach, where her ashes were scattered.

Steenkamp's parents June and Barry have previously expressed their disappointment with the verdict in Pistorius' trial, telling ITV News' Rohit Kachroo they did not feel justice had been done.