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Britons have been advised not to travel to Bahrain after a fresh wave of protests swept the Gulf island on Sunday, sparking violent clashes between police and demonstrators.
The Foreign Office warned against all travel to the kingdom and urged UK nationals in Bahrain to remain at home until further notice.
In a statement, it also said there were fresh reports that Saudi soldiers were about to enter the country to intervene in the revolt.
“The risk of further outbreaks of violence has increased,” the statement said.
Thousands of demonstrators on Sunday cut off Bahrain's financial centre and drove back police trying to eject them from the capital's central square, in one of the most violent confrontations since the military killed seven protesters on February 17.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the crowds who erected barricades across the highway after overwhelming riot police near Manama’s Pearl roundabout.
Bahrain, which is connected to Saudia Arabia via a sea causeway, has been gripped by its worst unrest since the 1990s after protesters took to the streets last month, inspired by uprisings that toppled the leaders in Egypt and Tunisia.
The kingdom has seen weeks of rallies by its disgruntled Shi'ite majority, which says it is discriminated against by the Sunni royal family.
The Foreign Office warned against all travel to the kingdom and urged UK nationals in Bahrain to remain at home until further notice.
In a statement, it also said there were fresh reports that Saudi soldiers were about to enter the country to intervene in the revolt.
“The risk of further outbreaks of violence has increased,” the statement said.
Thousands of demonstrators on Sunday cut off Bahrain's financial centre and drove back police trying to eject them from the capital's central square, in one of the most violent confrontations since the military killed seven protesters on February 17.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons at the crowds who erected barricades across the highway after overwhelming riot police near Manama’s Pearl roundabout.
Bahrain, which is connected to Saudia Arabia via a sea causeway, has been gripped by its worst unrest since the 1990s after protesters took to the streets last month, inspired by uprisings that toppled the leaders in Egypt and Tunisia.
The kingdom has seen weeks of rallies by its disgruntled Shi'ite majority, which says it is discriminated against by the Sunni royal family.
