'Gaddafi ordered Lockerbie bombing': Britons at mercy of Libyan gunmen

Britons trapped in Libya today accused the Government and Foreign Office of ignoring their pleas and leaving them at the mercy of looters and mobs armed with AK47s.

As the country teetered on the brink of civil war, many have taken refuge in compounds and hotels but have food and water for only 24 hours.
One report estimated 1,000 protesters have been killed so far by security services and foreign mercenaries propping up dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

In a day of fast-moving developments, there were reports that the Libyan justice minister had proof that Gaddafi was responsible for the Lockerbie bombings.

In another sign of his crumbling power, two crew of a Libyan jet fighter parachuted out and let their aircraft crash rather than fire on protesters.

Two charter flights were leaving Gatwick today for Libya but thousands of Britons were still said to be stuck in the country. Some said they watched as 13 other countries got their people out in a major air and sea operation.

The Foreign Secretary pledged Britain will send "as many planes as necessary" to bring Britons home. He appealed to the 150 oil workers in desert locations to get in touch. "They are in a perilous and frightening situation," said William Hague. "We are now working on a range of options to secure their safe passage." Mr Hague would not rule out using military transport, though he said that was not ideal.

A group of teachers touched down at Gatwick. Among them was Jackie Murphy and husband Chris.

Mrs Murphy said: "We saw the military helicopters circling overhead and heard gunfire all through the night. During and after yesterday's siege by Gaddafi we could hear shots in the air and screaming but you just don't know what people are screaming for.

"It is just chaos in the city. We had to leave all of our possessions in the house and we just don't know what is going to happen to ourselves."

Other Britons described their disillusion with the British Foreign Office in helping workers and holidaymakers to leave the turbulent capital. Passengers described having nothing to do with the Embassy and feeling as if they were being kept in the dark as to what they needed to do.

Oil worker James Coyle, who was barricaded with 90 British colleagues in a compound, said: "We are living a nightmare and we have asked the Government and they have just totally ignored us. They don't reply to emails, they have cut off the phones to Tripoli. We told them the situation three days ago, they never even replied to us. We have been left without any protection whatsoever."

He said workers in a camp between Tripoli and Benghazi had supplies for one day. "There are 300 people in this camp. It normally only caters for 100," he said. Mr Coyle's daughter Julie, 30, criticised the Government for being slow to act. She said: "They were slow off the mark and the Foreign Office were hopeless. They told me to book a British Airways flight for my dad and BA are not even running.

"They need to liaise with companies to make sure everyone stuck in the middle of nowhere can get to the flights."

Downing Street insisted that David Cameron is in charge of the crisis, despite him being three thousand miles away in Qatar with a packed itinerary of meetings.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said the Government seemed to have been "slow off the mark" in responding to the turmoil.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The safety of British nationals in Libya is of paramount concern. We are doing all we can to help them, including those in camps. We recognise the genuine and real distress of those who are in camps in the desert."

Downing Street insisted that David Cameron is in charge of the crisis, despite him being three thousand miles away in Qatar with a packed itinerary of meetings.

But with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on holiday, questions were being asked about who was running the rescue operation.

Britons in Tripoli claimed embassy staff assigned to help them leave Libya instead tried to flee the capital themselves.

Ryan Mundy, 23, whose parents Glen and Jayne are stuck in Tripoli along with 50 British teachers, told the Standard: "Diplomats have been waving their passports trying to get to the front of the queues. It is madness. The violence was centred around military bases but my parents are now worried about leaving their house as the violence is getting closer."

Evening Standard also spoke to a man trapped along with 25 Britons in a hotel in Benghazi since the weekend. The man, a middle-aged professional who was too scared to give his name, told how he watched 3,000 Turks being evacuated this morning by boat.