Three British schoolgirls who fled to Turkey to join Islamic State (Isis) were met at the Syrian border by jihadists in cars, according to a people smuggler.

The smuggler, who called himself Ali Kathem, said that the runaway girls, Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, were driven to the Turkish border before taking several steps into Syrian territory. They were then met by men from Islamic State and driven away.

The girls, who left their homes in east London and boarded a Turkish Airlines flight unaccompanied, are thought to have left Turkey near the Kilis border crossing about six days ago. Mr Kathem, who said the information he had received was reliable as he knew their driver, told the BBC he