Cumberland sent to Libya as crisis deepens

HMS Cumberland is today on stand-by in the Mediterranean as civil unrest in Libya worsens.

The frigate was ordered to international waters off the North African state yesterday as Whitehall became increasingly concerned by the uprising against Colonel Gaddafi's regime – and the dictator's threats to clamp down hard on the rebels.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Cumberland was being "pre-positioned" off the Libyan coast should an evacuation of British citizens be necessary.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimates there are several hundred Britons in Libya presently – and it is looking to bring them home by air or sea.

In the case of Cumberland, the frigate is returning from the Gulf and Horn of Africa as her six-month tour of duty east of Suez – her final deployment; the ship was axed under last year's defence review – comes to an end.

As she's a warship, Mr Hague said permission would be sought for the Fighting Sausage to enter Libyan waters should the need for a seaborne evacuation arise.

In the meantime, Mr Hague called on the Libyan Government to protect foreign nationals and to end the violence against its own people.

"The safety of British nationals in Libya is of paramount concern to us," he stressed. "We are appalled by the levels of violence unleashed by the Libyan Government in recent days. The situation in Libya is worsening and it remains highly unpredictable."