Tunisia : Thousands of Britons to Leave After Foreign Office Warning

Thousands of British holidaymakers are to be flown home from Tunisia following warnings that another terrorist attack in the country is "highly likely".

Thirty Britons were killed in a gun attack in Tunisia last month and the Foreign Office (FCO) has now urged all Britons to leave the country.

Extra security measures there did not provide "adequate protection", it said.

The Association of British Travel Agents said its members aimed to bring customers home in the next 48 hours.

Between 2,500 and 3,000 British package holidaymakers are believed to be in Tunisia, as well as about 300 independent travellers.

Tour operators Thomson and First Choice have already cancelled all flights to the country for the rest of the summer season.

The two firms have also decided to repatriate all their British staff currently working in Tunisia "within the next 24 hours".

Thomas Cook, which cancelled all future bookings to Tunisia until 31 October, said it was putting on an extra flight on Friday to bring customers back to the UK.'As soon as possible'

A Thomas Cook spokesman said customers would be flown back to the UK "as soon as we can using third -party carriers and on our 10 scheduled flights over the weekend".

Meanwhile, Monarch Airlines said it was arranging to repatriate all customers in resorts back to the UK "as soon as possible" in response to the fresh travel advice.

It comes as the funeral of two victims of the attack - Jim and Anne McQuire, from Cumbernauld - will be held in their home town later.

Tunisia declared a state of emergency following the 26 June attack, which happened in the popular resort of Port El Kantaoui, just north of Sousse.

Thirty-eight people died in the gun attack.

Witnesses described how a gunman - identified as Tunisian student Seifeddine Rezgui - opened fire at tourists on sun-loungers outside the five-star Hotel Rui Imperial Marhaba.

It came after 22 people, mostly tourists, were killed at the National Bardo Museum outside Tunis in a separate attack in March.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC that the Tunisian investigations into the attacks were ongoing.

He said that while the British government did not have any information suggesting "a specific or imminent" new threat in Tunisia, intelligence had led officials to the view that a further terrorist attack was "highly likely".

Mr Hammond said an assessment of the security measures in tourist areas found that more work was needed "to effectively protect tourists from the terrorist threat".

In its updated advice the FCO said although Tunisian authorities had put in place additional security measures since the June attack, these did not provide "adequate protection for British tourists".

It advised against all non-essential travel to Tunisia.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said people due to travel to Tunisia should contact the company they had booked through.

Travelling to Tunisia now would be likely to invalidate travel insurance policies, though most policies would provide cover for those already in the country, Abta added.

"Those with holidays booked within the next 48 hours to Tunisia are advised to contact your travel company to discuss available options," it said.

But Nabil Ammar, the Tunisian ambassador to the UK, said that the impact of the updated travel advice would be "what the terrorists want".

"By damaging the tourism, by having foreigners leaving the country, they damage the whole sector and put so many people out of work and on the streets," he said.

Mr Ammar added: "One of the sources of terrorism is lack of hope. It is not the only motor of it but it is one of the very important origins."