Britons evacuated from Freetown

About 250 paratroopers have secured Lungi airport

British paratroopers have begun airlifting British and other foreign nationals from the Sierra Leone capital as the country appears to be sliding back into civil war.

With the operation continuing throughout the night, about 170 evacuees have now arrived in the Senegalese capital, Dakar on board British military aircraft.

UK evacuation taskforce

700 paratroopers

Two Hercules transport planes

Four Chinook helicopters

Navy taskforce of six ships

The evacuation followed a day of violence in Freetown on Monday, in which at least four people are reported to have died as bodyguards protecting the home of rebel leader Foday Sankoh opened fire on crowds marching to demand the 1999 Lome peace accord be respected.

Several hundred United Nations peacekeepers, in the country to oversee disarmament in accordance with the peace accord, are still missing. The UN says they are being held by rebels of Mr Sankoh's Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

Troops dig in

About 700 British paratroopers arrived at Lungi Airport outside Freetown on Monday, securing the area and forming a bridgehead in Freetown.

Our correspondent in Freetown saw dozens of people, mainly women and children, climb onto giant RAF Chinook helicopters to be flown the short distance from Freetown to the airport.

(Click here to see a map of Freetown)

Tension is said to be running high but there is unmistakable relief on the faces of those who are leaving.

Mr Sankoh's fighters opened fire on the protesters

It is expected that this evacuation will continue for days to come.

The UK is sending more troops and aircraft carriers to the West African region, to support the paratroopers.

Nigeria is said to be considering sending about 1,600 soldiers to back up government forces in addition to Nigeria's contribution to the UN force, and the United States has offered to fly Bangladeshi troops to Sierra Leone although it has repeated that it will not send its own soldiers.

Tense situation

But the Foreign Secretary made it clear that British troops had no long-term combat role in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone crisis

2 May: Four Kenyan peacekeepers killed, 92 UN staff captured by rebels

3 May: Rebel leader Foday Sankoh promises to release prisoners

4 May: Six UN staff freed, 208 Zambian peacekeepers detained

6 May: 226 more Zambian troops reported missing

6/7 May: Confusion over reported assault on Freetown

7 May: US and UK advise nationals to leave

7 May: Britain sends military taskforce

Mr Cook said the situation in Freetown had become tense and an estimated 500 British nationals had been advised to gather at the Mamy Yoko Hotel to be evacuated.

A number of EU and Commonwealth nationals were also to be taken out of the country.

Killings

At least four people were reportedly killed and many more wounded after shots were fired at thousands of demonstrators who had gathered around Mr Sankoh's home in Freetown demanding peace.

Thousands marched calling for peace

The demonstrators gathered around the house, which is guarded both by UN soldiers and RUF fighters, to condemn Mr Sankoh's and his rebels.

Witnesses said UN guards fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd, after some individuals threw stones at the house.

But Mr Sankoh's supporters reportedly responded by shooting from behind the UN guards at the protesters, using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.

UN hostages

The UN is continuing to put diplomatic pressure on Mr Sankoh and the leaders of neighbouring states to secure the release of several hundred of its peacekeepers who it says are being detained by RUF rebels.

Up to 500 UN peacekeepers are being held

The UN announced that it was moving 266 civilian personnel out of Freetown, leaving just 55 essential staff.

The World Food Programme has also suspended the delivery of relief aid to about 100,000 people in the districts of Bombali, Tonkolili and Kailahun.

"We had to curtail some of our most vital operations in those areas due to the high risk our staff are facing there," said WFP regional manager Paul Ares.

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The UK Foreign Office has issued a hot line number for worried relatives of British nationals: 0207 8391010