Members of the European Parliament have been told Alan Johnston is alive:

Members of the European Parliament have been told by Palestinian leaders that the kidnapped BBC correspondent, Alan Johnston, is alive.

A 12-member delegation of MEPs were given the assurances in a meeting with Palestinian Deputy PM Azzam al-Ahmad in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Mr Azzam also told them the Palestinian security services knew what they had to do to secure the reporter’s release.

Mr Johnston was seized at gunpoint in Gaza City on 12 March.