The 10 countries where Britons most needed assistance

The figures for the 10 countries most visited by Britons

More Britons were raped and hospitalised in Greece than in any other country, according to official figures out today.

The Foreign Office released figures showing that there were 48 reported rapes in the period from April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 - two years after the excess of Faliraki.

During the same period, 955 Britons were taken to hospital in Greece - more than in Spain and France combined. And Greece ranked third, behind only Spain and the USA for the number of travellers arrested.

Overall, British Consuls or Embassies helped 10,734 Britons during the period, of which just under half were serious assistance cases. The next highest was the USA at 9,005 (3,006) and Italy with 3,495 cases.

The FCO released the figures to back up its Know Before You Go campaign, aimed at preparing travellers better for their trips.

The figures break down into different categories:

ARRESTS

Spain had the highest number of arrests (1,549 in the period) followed by the USA (1,368). Greece also fared badly, with 226 arrests - despite being only the sixth most visited country. The FCO also gives the figures for Cyprus, 330.

The FCO warned of travellers being arrested by Customs if trying to take out illegal souvenirs or drugs, and warned visitors against excessive drinking.

LOST PASSPORTS

Spain had the highest number of reported lost or stolen passports, at 6,078 in the period. While Spain has most visitors from Britain (13.79m), the second most visited country - France (10.98m) had only 713 reports of lost or stolen passports. While only 381,000 Britons visited Thailand, there were 653 lost or stolen passports.

The FCO advises travellers to take photocopies of the details page and leave on set of copies with friends or family.

DEATHS

More Britons died in Spain during the period - 1,325 - than in any other country. The next highest number of deaths was in France (376) followed by Germany (284).

OTHER FINDINGS

The Czech Republic features as one of the countries where most consular assistance is required with a disproportionate number of lost passports, arrests and hospitalisations. "This is likely to be due to the massive influx of hen and stag parties to Prague," says the FCO.

India, Thailand and Australia also appear in the top ten countries where Briton’s required consular assistance - perhaps suggesting although Brits are getting more adventurous with their travels they are not doing enough preparation before they go. The high figures in India might well be a result of many British Asians visiting family members and forgoing usual travel preparations such as vaccinations or travel insurance.

FCO Minister, Meg Munn, said: "One of the most important tasks for the Foreign Office is our work to help British nationals in distress overseas. As this report shows, although some of the incidents people face are unavoidable, many can be prevented with a little planning and careful preparation. Simple precautions like researching your destination, getting comprehensive travel insurance, checking out medical requirements and taking copies of important documents could help avoid common travelling traumas, risks and dangers in the long-run."

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