1,000 Britons Arrested Abroad For Drugs

Nearly 1,000 Britons were arrested for drug related offences overseas last year whilst many more held by police or hospitalised for drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

One third of the 991 drug arrests occurred in Spain and the US, while hospital cases were often the results of motorised scooter accidents and accidents like falling from balconies.

These incidents increased significantly during the summer months, which the Foreign Office said was linked to greater consumption of drugs and alcohol over the holiday period.

“Researching the local laws and customs before you travel could avoid time in a foreign jail,” said Chris Bryant, Foreign Office Minister.

British travellers reported 116 cases of rape and 158 cases of sexual assault, including 28 rapes in Greece.

About 20,000 Britons who had run into trouble abroad sought consular advice.

A total of 30,000 passports were lost whilst overseas, according to the Foreign Office.

The drinking habits of Briton’s whilst abroad was highlighted earlier this month when the mayor of Latvia’s capital, Riga, called for an end to stag and hens parties following reports of British tourists urinating on the city’s Freedom Monument.

Total arrests were up, 6,919 Britons were arrested abroad in the twelve month period to March this year, however improved reporting standards may be the reason of the increase.

Currently eight British citizens are awaiting the death penalty; four in the US, and one in Ghana, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.