Man arrested in London on suspicion of Liberia war crimes

A man has been arrested in London on suspicion of war crimes during the Liberian civil wars.

The 45-year-old man is accused of offences relating to the country's first and second civil wars between 1989 and 2003, the Met Police said.

Officers from the Met's War Crimes Team detained the man at about 07:20 BST on Thursday.

The force said the suspect remained in custody and officers were searching an address in south-east London.

The man has been held on suspicion of war crimes contrary to Section 51 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001, according to Scotland Yard.

About 250,000 people died during the two civil wars in Liberia, from 1989-1996 and 1999-2003.

The country's former president Charles Taylor was later jailed in the UK for committing war crimes in neighbouring Sierra Leone.