New Foreign Office warnings for Sri Lanka

Ampara town and Arugam Bay have been added to the Foreign Office's areas holidaymakers should avoid when visiting Sri Lanka.

The Foreign Office states there are reports of heavy fighting in the north and east of the country, and that travellers should avoid large gatherings, political meetings or demonstrations as there was a "continued deterioration of the security situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka".

In a statement the Foreign Office said: "We advise against all travel to the north or east of Sri Lanka. If you are in the north or east, you should leave at the first available opportunity.

"For the purpose of this travel advice we consider the north to be all areas north of the A12 road (which runs from Puttalam in the west to Trincomalee in the east) including the Jaffna peninsula. . . we consider the east to be the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa, as well as coastal areas of [the] Ampara district north of Panama and east of the A25 and A27 roads, including Ampara town and Arugam Bay."

For more information see www.fco.gov.uk