Rescue flight takes off as Mubarak caves in

The Foreign Office took the decision as President Hosni Mubarak announced last night he would stand down at the next election but would remain in power for the remainder of his current term.

Further flights will follow if needed but the Government said the move was a "belt and braces" approach and insisted most tourists wanting to leave the country could do so with commercial airlines.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britons in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez were advised to leave where possible.

"The vast majority of those wishing to do so have been able to do so on commercial flights," he told MPs. "But I've also decided to send a charter aircraft to enable further British nationals to leave the country if they wish to do so."

An estimated 30,000 UK tourists remained in Egypt yesterday, but most are in Red Sea coastal resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh, where there has been little disturbance.

Holidaymakers who have booked trips to Red Sea resorts and are unwilling to travel have been warned that they will not be entitled to refunds unless Foreign Office advice changes.

Prime Minister David Cameron spoke to Egyptian Premier Ahmed Shafiq yesterday – urging his government to "urgently listen to the aspirations of its people".

Mr Cameron welcomed the restraint shown by the Egyptian army in handling protests but called for an orderly transition to a broad-based Government including opposition figures.