Two British nurses held over Saudi murder

Two British nurses have been detained by Saudi Arabian authorities investigating the murder of Yvonne Gillford, a 55-year-old Australian nurse, the Foreign Office in London confirmed last night.

The nurses, reported to be women in their 30s, are being detained in a Dhahran prison and have so far been denied access to British consulate services. Ms Gillford was found dead in her room on 11 December. She had been stabbed and beaten to death. Up to 40 British employees at the hospital have been refused access to their passports and told they cannot leave the country.