Nairobi – Hundreds of UK tourists are being evacuated from parts of the Kenyan coast, after the Foreign Office warned of a ‘high threat’ from terrorists.

Tour operators Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights to Mombasa until October and said about 400 holidaymakers would be flown back as a precaution.

The FCO advised against non-essential travel to areas within 37 miles of the Kenya-Somali border and Nairobi. The main threat has been linked to the militant Islamist al-Shabab group.

TUI Travel, which operates Thomson and First Choice, said those already in the country would be flown home by Monday.

A spokesman confirmed a flight carrying some of the tourists landed at Gatwick yesterday morning, and that some holidaymakers were due to arrive during the course of the day, and the remainder on Monday.

The FCO’s warning against non-essential travel covered the Mombasa Island area, Kiwayu and coastal areas north of Pate Island, the Garissa district, the Eastleigh area of Nairobi and the slum areas of the Kenyan capital.

But it said its advice did not include the Diani beach resort or the nearby Moi International Airport.

It said the main threat was from terrorism, which included kidnapping, and that westerners could be targeted.

While Thomson and First Choice have cancelled flights until October, long-haul travel company Kuoni said it was not offering holidays to the Kenyan coast for the time-being.

It said in a statement: "Although the advice does not include Moi International Airport, Diani beach or Malindi, the main road to access these resorts goes through the restricted area defined by the FCO advice. This means that we are no longer able to offer holidays to the Kenyan coast at present.”

The Foreign Office said there were 5,000 UK nationals resident on the Kenyan coast, and 500 in or around Mombasa.