A British newspaper, The Sun newspaper is reporting that four British school children aged 16 and 17, together with their teacher have been allegedly raped at gunpoint on a school trip to Ghana.

According to the publication, the victims were attacked in their hostel-style accommodation by a man with a rifle on Saturday night, December 8.

A security man at the hostel who tried to stop the attack was shot and seriously injured by the perpetrator.

The girls and their teacher, whose names have been withheld are reportedly recovering from their traumatic ordeal in a British hospital. They landed back in the UK in the early hours on Sunday morning.

The Sun newspaper indicated that the pupils flew to Ghana on a trip that was meant to give them the opportunity to experience life in a developing country. They were part of a larger group of ten schoolchildren who paid £1,200 each for the trip.

The school which wasn’t named by the newspaper, partners a West African volunteering charity that supports disadvantaged Ghanaian children.

Pupils stayed in guesthouses within a secure walled compound and gardens a few minutes’ walk from a local beach. The dormitory-style rooms house up to six guests at a time.

A Ghanaian caretaker and private security team also live on the site in a separate staff block.