Children accused of stealing scrap metal have been held in a police cell in Kenya, the privately owned Daily Nation reports.

The news site says that five children, aged between four and 10, were taken to a police station in the central Nyeri County on Sunday night and kept in a cell for more than 18 hours after they were accused of theft by a local teacher.

Two of their parents were also reportedly detained.

The Daily Nation reports that the children and their parents have since been released and all charges against them dropped.

bbc