Oscar Pistorius granted bail

Superstar Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been freed on bail a week after he was accused of murdering his model girlfriend.

The 26-year-old track star, nicknamed Blade Runner, hit headlines across the world last week when his partner, Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead at his home in Pretoria, South Africa on Valentine's Day.

He was charged with murder and on Friday, Magistrate Desmond Nair concluded days of court arguments by granting the star's bail application. Pistorius sobbed openly in court as the ruling was read out.

Bail was set at approximately £71,250 and he has been ordered to surrender all his firearms and his passport, while he has also been banned from returning to the luxury home which was the scene of the shooting.

Pistorius has been held at a local police station since his arrest, and the granting of bail means the star has avoided a lengthy stay behind bars as a possible trial is not expected to get underway until next year.

The runner has claimed he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder when he fired his gun through a closed bathroom door at his home.

He is due back in court in Pretoria on 4 June.