A judge has banned a man from taking his six-year-old daughter out of the country for the next 11 years over fears she may be forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM).

High Court judge Ms Justice Russell was told that the girl's father came from Guinea, West Africa, where the practice of FGM was "widespread".

Her mother is English and had raised fears about the girl being subjected to FGM The judge concluded that the man would come under pressure to have his daughter "mutilated" if he took her to Guinea and has imposed an FGM protection order.

She had analysed the case at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London in November and has revealed detail in a written ruling.

Ms Justice Russell said she had heard evidence from the girl's mother and father, who were separated, plus other family members, and from an academic who had carried out research into the practice of FGM in Guinea and other West African countries.

She said she had barred the man from taking the youngster out of the UK because there were no direct flights and all travel to Guinea took place via a third country.

The judge said the girl could not be identified. The girl lived with her mother, who is in her 40s, in the south east of England. Her father, who is in his 30s, had been born in Conakry, Guinea.