British Schoolgirls 'Sexually Assaulted at Gunpoint During visit to Ghana'

Four British schoolgirls and their teacher were reportedly sexually assaulted at gunpoint on a visit to Ghana. 

The teenagers were attacked in their accommodation by a man armed with a rifle while volunteering in the West African nation, according to The Sun.

The newspaper reported a Ghanaian security guard was shot and seriously injured after intervening in an attempt to stop the assault on Saturday. 

The schoolgirls and their teacher, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were said to be recovering in a British hospital tonight after landing in the UK earlier today.

The Foreign Office confirmed it was providing support to British nationals and was in contact with Ghanaian authorities following an "incident" in the Greater Accra area.

The school, which also cannot be named, is said to support a volunteering charity that supports disadvantaged Ghanaian children.

According to the Foreign Office, around 90,000 British nationals visit Ghana every year, with most visits trouble-free though it warns "crime does occur".