Kidnapped Sahil Saeed found wandering in a field

The mother of kidnapped boy Sahil Saeed is said to be "over the moon" after he was found wandering in a field this morning. The British five-year-old, from Oldham, was taken by armed robbers from his grandmother's house in Jhelum 13 days ago during a visit to Pakistan.

A statement from British police said: "He was released near to a school, alone, wandered into a local field and was found by some local residents who looked after him until such time as his family found him with the police."

Police would not say whether a ransom had been paid to secure Saeed's return, but confirmed that the release "was made as a result of a phone call made to his family". The kidnappers are thought to have asked the boy's father, Naqqash Saeed, for £100,000 and media in Pakistan are reporting that a sum of money was paid in Europe.

Last week, Punjab police said they had traced telephone numbers linked to the suspects - "none of which are from Pakistan" - and found one number originated in Denmark. Meanwhile, Naqqash Saeed returned to the UK against Pakistani police advice. Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister, alleged that "a family member was involved" in the kidnapping.

Akila Naqqash, mother of Sahil Saeed was "ecstatic" today after she spoke to her son on the phone. She said she was "gobsmacked" to find that he seemed untroubled by his two-week captivity: "Obviously [he had] been held for 13 days, and the way he spoke to me like nothing happened - it's normal, the way he spoke and everything. He's going on and on and on about his toys and his sisters and everything - a normal little boy."

The five-year-old is now with relatives in Pakistan, but assistant chief constable Dave Thompson of Greater Manchester Police said Saeed's UK family would fly out as soon as possible to bring him home. Jane Sheridan, head teacher at Rushcroft Primary School, said: "We are delighted to hear that Sahil has been released safe and well.

Police said things were "moving very quickly" in the drive to bring the kidnappers to justice and the UK's representative in Islamabad, Adam Thompson, praised the "high level of co-operation between the UK and Pakistani authorities". ·