Avoid All But Essential Travel To Sri Lanka, Foreign Office Says

St Anthony's church in Colombo was targeted (Picture: PA).

The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks.

An estimated 8,000 British tourists are in Sri Lanka.

The Foreign Office urged them to keep a low profile, avoid crowded public places and remain vigilant.

It is not yet known if travel companies will make special arrangements to bring travellers back to the UK earlier than planned.

Colombo Airport is continuing to operate but with increased security checks and long queues.

It is unlikely there will be a repeat of the major airlift which was organised when commercial flights to and from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh Airport were banned in November 2015.

The Foreign Office travel advice is likely to have a major impact on Sri Lanka's tourism industry.

Annual tourism visits to the island have increased from fewer than half a million in 2009 to a record high of more than two million in 2017.