Man held for allegedly helping UK girls cross into Syria

A man has been detained for allegedly helping three British schoolgirls cross into Syria, Turkey's foreign minister has said.

The man worked for the intelligence services of a country in the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS), Mevlut Cavusoglu is quoted by Turkish media saying.

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase, all students at Bethnal Green academy in east London, fled the UK last month to reportedly join IS.

Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe apologised to the schoolgirls' families for failing to communicate more directly with them before the girls left on February 17.