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28 January 2011
Last updated at 17:57 ET
The UK Foreign Office has advised Britons against all but essential travel to several cities in Egypt due to ongoing anti-government protests.
It warned against travel to Cairo and the tourist centre of Luxor, as well as Alexandria and Suez, but says transit through Cairo airport is unaffected.
David Cameron earlier called for reform in the north African country.
The prime minister said he hoped the violence would stop but it was clear people had "grievances and problems".
Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London in a show of solidarity.
'Stronger democracy' Mr Cameron said: "I think what we need is reform in Egypt. We support reform and progress in the greater strengthening of their democracy and civil rights and the rule of law.
"Clearly there are grievances that people have and they need to be met and matched.
Continue reading the main story At the scene
On the freezing cold streets of London's West End far from Cairo about 30 demonstrators protested against Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.
The numbers outside the Egyptian embassy may not have been great but they made up for it with loud chanting and colourful placards, berating the 82-year-old president.
One demonstrator told me: "We're standing shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Egypt. Thirty years is too long. Enough is enough."
The crowd was made up mainly of young men, many of them students in jeans, but there were also several women.
Most of the slogans were simply calling for elections and the removal of the embattled Egyptian leader.
A solitary policeman kept watch but did not need to intervene as the protesters made their point peacefully.
"I don't think it's in anyone's interest that people are being killed on the streets of Egypt as we speak, and so I hope the violence will cease.
"But clearly, when you have people who have grievances and problems that want them responded to, it's in all our interests that these countries have stronger rule of law, stronger rights, stronger democracy."
The Foreign Office has advised UK nationals in the country to track events closely on television and abide by a state-imposed curfew.
"If you are already in Egypt, you are strongly advised to stay put," it said. "We are not, at present, advising British nationals to leave the country."
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the safety of British nationals was "absolutely paramount".
"In light of the ongoing demonstrations in Egypt we have carefully reviewed our advice and now advise against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez.
"This does not affect transits through Cairo airport for onward travel to other destinations, and it does not cover Egypt's Red Sea resorts."
More than a million UK citizens visit Egypt annually but the majority head to Red Sea resorts including Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada - a considerable distance from Cairo.
Abta, the organisation formerly known as the Association of British Travel Agents, said it had not heard of any reports of British package tourists being affected by the unrest but said some tour operators had cancelled trips as a precaution.
Travel firm Thomas Cook said it had cancelled all excursions to Cairo this weekend from the Red Sea resorts. But it said flights were operating in and out of Sharm El Sheikh airport as normal this weekend.
British Airways has warned of changes to flight schedules to Cairo because of a curfew imposed in the capital.
'Legitimate grievances' Earlier on Friday, around 30 people gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London in a show of solidarity with the protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
The campaigners, many of them London-based expatriates, gathered at the embassy in Mayfair, holding banners and chanting "down with Mubarak".
Hisham Youssef, who lived in Cairo until two months ago, said the group wanted to speak on behalf of people in their country.
He said they were calling for Egypt's president to stand down.
"Thirty years of corruption. It used to be a different country. There is no freedom of speech," he said.
"The system has to change, it is time for him to go. We are here to show solidarity with the people in Egypt."
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It warned against travel to Cairo and the tourist centre of Luxor, as well as Alexandria and Suez, but says transit through Cairo airport is unaffected.
David Cameron earlier called for reform in the north African country.
The prime minister said he hoped the violence would stop but it was clear people had "grievances and problems".
Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London in a show of solidarity.
'Stronger democracy' Mr Cameron said: "I think what we need is reform in Egypt. We support reform and progress in the greater strengthening of their democracy and civil rights and the rule of law.
"Clearly there are grievances that people have and they need to be met and matched.
Continue reading the main story At the scene
On the freezing cold streets of London's West End far from Cairo about 30 demonstrators protested against Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.
The numbers outside the Egyptian embassy may not have been great but they made up for it with loud chanting and colourful placards, berating the 82-year-old president.
One demonstrator told me: "We're standing shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Egypt. Thirty years is too long. Enough is enough."
The crowd was made up mainly of young men, many of them students in jeans, but there were also several women.
Most of the slogans were simply calling for elections and the removal of the embattled Egyptian leader.
A solitary policeman kept watch but did not need to intervene as the protesters made their point peacefully.
"I don't think it's in anyone's interest that people are being killed on the streets of Egypt as we speak, and so I hope the violence will cease.
"But clearly, when you have people who have grievances and problems that want them responded to, it's in all our interests that these countries have stronger rule of law, stronger rights, stronger democracy."
The Foreign Office has advised UK nationals in the country to track events closely on television and abide by a state-imposed curfew.
"If you are already in Egypt, you are strongly advised to stay put," it said. "We are not, at present, advising British nationals to leave the country."
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the safety of British nationals was "absolutely paramount".
"In light of the ongoing demonstrations in Egypt we have carefully reviewed our advice and now advise against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez.
"This does not affect transits through Cairo airport for onward travel to other destinations, and it does not cover Egypt's Red Sea resorts."
More than a million UK citizens visit Egypt annually but the majority head to Red Sea resorts including Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada - a considerable distance from Cairo.
Abta, the organisation formerly known as the Association of British Travel Agents, said it had not heard of any reports of British package tourists being affected by the unrest but said some tour operators had cancelled trips as a precaution.
Travel firm Thomas Cook said it had cancelled all excursions to Cairo this weekend from the Red Sea resorts. But it said flights were operating in and out of Sharm El Sheikh airport as normal this weekend.
British Airways has warned of changes to flight schedules to Cairo because of a curfew imposed in the capital.
'Legitimate grievances' Earlier on Friday, around 30 people gathered at the Egyptian embassy in London in a show of solidarity with the protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
The campaigners, many of them London-based expatriates, gathered at the embassy in Mayfair, holding banners and chanting "down with Mubarak".
Hisham Youssef, who lived in Cairo until two months ago, said the group wanted to speak on behalf of people in their country.
He said they were calling for Egypt's president to stand down.
"Thirty years of corruption. It used to be a different country. There is no freedom of speech," he said.
"The system has to change, it is time for him to go. We are here to show solidarity with the people in Egypt."
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