Thousands of Britons to be flown out of The Gambia

Thousands of UK holidaymakers are to be flown home from The Gambia after the UK Foreign Office advised against "all but essential travel" to the west African country.

Several major travel agents, including Thomas Cook, are laying on additional flights for tourists currently in the country. According to The Independent, "it is likely that around 5,000 British people are on holiday there right now".

The Foreign Office changed its official advice for Britons going to The Gambia last night, citing the "deteriorating political situation" and "potential military intervention" after President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency two days before he was due to leave office.

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Despite losing the presidential elections on 1 December, Jammeh has refused to step aside for president-elect Adama Barrow, saying there was an "unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference" in the original vote.

"The electoral commission admitted some errors, although it insists this did not affect the final outcome", the BBC says.

Barrow is in neighbouring Senegal due to fears for his safety, causing him to miss the funeral of his eight-year-old son this week, who died after being mauled by a dog.