Two German children, aged five and six, have been stopped from running away to Africa get married. Mika and Anna-Bell got together their swimming costumes, sunglasses and a lilo and headed for the airport. They even thought to take Anna-Bell’s seven-year-old sister with them to be an official witness at their wedding. But a guard called police when he saw them at Hanover railway station and theywere persuaded they’d need money and tickets to reach Africa.

Police spokesman Holger Jureczk said the young couple were “very much in love” and had decided to get married in Africa “where it is warm”. They came up with the idea as their families celebrated New Year’s eve and Mika told the two sisters all about a holiday to Italy. The next morning they walked to the local tram station and hopped on a tram to the railway station.