BA should not have flown us to Tunisia, say scared tourists

Londoners stranded in Tunisia today criticised British Airways for continuing to fly to the crisis-hit country despite Foreign Office warnings of fresh violence.

Most tourists were flown back to Britain at the weekend following advice against non-essential travel after rioting left dozens dead.

But at least 20 Britons flew with BA from Gatwick on Friday morning, 12 hours after the travel warning.

Tunis, which is under curfew, appeared calm overnight but there were unconfirmed reports today that gunmen loyal to former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who has fled the country, had been killed after going on shooting rampages. Today, four women from north London who paid £180 for a five-night holiday, told how they have been stranded for days in the El Mouradi hotel in the coastal town of Yasmine Hammamet, 60 miles south of Tunis.

Shefali Khan, 27, a nurse from Camden, said: "We are scared for our lives. We offered to upgrade and pay more for business tickets but they said there was no room.

"When I said it's an emergency, can't you send out a bigger plane, they just told me they had a contract for that size plane and couldn't break it because it would mean extra fuel, crew and food." Her sister Shelina said: "This was supposed to be a holiday for my birthday but it's turned into a nightmare. I just want to go home."

Cassandra Flavius, 27, a civil servant from Islington, said: "Before we left we called British Airways and said we have just seen rioting in Tunisia and they said it was no problem and not to worry."

Edward and Ann Christine Moore told the Standard today from the same hotel that BA refused to pay to evacuate them and they would complete their five-week holiday. Mrs Moore, 81, a former Bayswater resident, said: "We went into Tunis on the bus but they've blown up the banks, they've firebombed them and the pharmacies. There's bricks and debris all over the place."

Travel expert Simon Calder said BA's obligation for compensation was far more limited than that of package operators as passengers are only "buying the flying". A BA spokesman said the carrier planned to continue its five weekly flights to Tunisia, despite the worsening situation on the streets.