Terror alert over pair held in Kenya

The pair, who are understood to be 17 or 18, are being questioned by Kenyan police.

It is unclear why they trying to reach Somalia – the destination known, however, to attract jihadist sympathisers hoping to join the Islamist rebel group al Shabab.

Cardiff South and Penarth MP Alun Michael said: “The Muslim community became very concerned when they discovered that two young men had gone missing, one from a Somali background and one from a Pakistan background.

“They are both quite young, about 17 or 18, and from what I have been told they are two bright, intelligent young men who have their lives before them.”

South Wales Police have been in contact with officers in the African country to establish why the pair were detained.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of reports of two British nationals detained in Kenya on October 16 and we are seeking normal consular access.”