Thousands Of UK Holidaymakers To Flee Home From Gambia

The action comes after Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

Thousands of UK holidaymakers are set to be flown home from The Gambia due to growing political unrest.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is warning against "all non-essential travel" to the west African nation due to potential military intervention following presidential elections on 1 December.

With fears the main international airport could be shut at short notice, holiday company Thomas Cook will lay on additional flights from the capital Banjul today to bring 985 package trip customers home.

Thomas Cook said a flight scheduled from Manchester will leave the UK without passengers and bring the first group of tourists home. A further four flights have been arranged from Banjul back to the UK later - two flying to Manchester and two to Gatwick.

An additional 2,500 "flight-only" customers will then be contacted and offered the earliest possible flights back to the UK.

Paul Hutchins, director of flight operations for Thomas Cook, said: "Their safety and their security is our number one priority, and therefore it is very important that we assure them that should they wish to come home then we are in a position to repatriate them.

"We stick very closely to what the Government advises... and therefore it is our responsibility to ensure that they are safe and we bring them home."