A schoolgirl who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan has been able to stand up and communicate freely with medical staff.

A statement from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham said the bullet which entered Malala Yousafzai just above her left eye had not penetrated the skull but passed down through the skin into her neck, although the shock of the impact had caused a skull fracture which grazed the edge of her brain.

Speaking outside the hospital, medical director, Dr Dave Rosser, told reporters: "It's clear that Malala is not out of the woods yet.

"Having said that, she is doing very well. In fact she was standing with some help for the first time this morning when I went in to see her."

The attack caused damage to Malala's brain, Dr Rosser said, but she is able to write, understands her surroundings and what has happened to her, and can move her arms and legs and can stand up with assistance.

The teenager, who is not on a ventilator, asked nurses what country she was in when she came out of the coma.

Dr Rosser told reporters: "There is every sign that she understands why she's here.

"It's a very difficult position for her, clearly, because she has gone from being on a school bus and the next thing she will be consciously aware of is being in a strange hospital in a different country.

"She seems to have understood why she is no longer in Pakistan and what has happened to her."

The schoolgirl has reportedly been able to take a phone call from her father in Pakistan, although she was not able to respond to him.