British nationals Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been detained in Iran and charged with espionage; they allegedly collected information in different parts of the country.

Iranian authorities have accused a British couple detained in the country since January of spying, state media reported Tuesday.

Husband and wife Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested in the southeast of Iran earlier this year and on Tuesday Iranian authorities said they had been charged with espionage. Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said the pair had entered Iran “posing as tourists” and gathered information before their arrest in Kerman province.

The couple last posted online from Iran in early January. Britain’s foreign office confirmed their detention after Iranian reports about British nationals accused of “security crimes.”

Detained Britons Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged in Iran with espionage, the country's judiciary news agency has said. Mr and Mrs Foreman were arrested in the city of Kerman in January but news of their detention,

The mother of a British woman charged with espionage while travelling in Iran has claimed the charges are “made up”. Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 52, were detained last month while travelling through the country on motorbike.