CORONAVIRUS

You’d be better off staying abroad, Dominic Raab tells stranded tourists

A passenger was taking no chances at Heathrow yesterday
A passenger was taking no chances at Heathrow yesterday
STEVE PARSONS/PA

Up to a million British tourists have been told to consider staying abroad as countries close borders and anger grows at airlines inflating ticket prices for the few remaining rescue flights.

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, said yesterday that between 300,000 and a million Britons were overseas, conceding that the country faced an “epic challenge” to get them back.

He said that holidaymakers or travellers who were abroad and with access to safe accommodation should “think very seriously” about staying overseas — potentially for weeks or months — rather than attempting to return.

The Foreign Office is evacuating “non-core” staff and families from some overseas posts. Diplomatic officials deemed non-essential have been told to leave embassies in Africa and the Middle East where there are