More than 1,000 UK troops on standby to evacuate Britons from Lebanon

More than 1,000 British military personnel have been put on standby to assist with an evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon.

It comes as fears continue to grow that the Israel-Gaza war could escalate into a wider regional conflict.

Hundreds of troops have already been sent to Cyprus, where the UK has military bases, with hundreds more on notice in the UK.

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RAF helicopters are already on standby in the region, while Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and amphibious ship RFA Cardigan Bay are in the eastern Mediterranean to support allies with humanitarian requirements.

The Foreign Office has been renewing calls for British citizens to leave Lebanon.

The department confirmed on Saturday that military personnel had begun deploying to the region to provide embassies with operational support to help British nationals - however, the number of troops was not mentioned.

Consular officials and Border Force personnel have also been deployed.

An estimated 16,000 British people live in Lebanon.

Evacuating UK nationals to Cyprus via a seabridge in an Operation Highbrow-style mission is thought to be among the solutions, if war begins, the PA news agency reports.

Operation Highbrow saw 4,500 British nationals evacuated from Lebanon using warships during the 2006 Lebanon War.