UK urges caution after Saudi bomb blast

Britons living in the UAE have been warned to remain vigilant following a car explosion which killed a British technician in Saudi Arabia on Friday. Christopher Rodway was killed in the blast which tore through his four-wheel-drive car as he drove through Riyadh.

His wife, Jane, received slight injuries in the explosion which is suspected to have been caused by a booby-trap bomb placed under the driver's side of the vehicle.

A spokesman for the British Embassy in Dubai said: "We urge all members of the British community in the UAE to remain vigilant and if there is any further change in the advice, the community will be informed though the travel advice section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website - www.fco.gov.uk."

The British government says there is no specific threat to Britons living in the UAE, but also urges caution.

"British nationals in Islamic countries or in countries with a large Islamic population should exercise particular caution, given the heightened tension in the Middle East," a Foreign Office spokesman said.

"We believe that the UAE is among a number of countries where there is an increased threat to British interests from global terrorism, although there is no specific threat of violence to British nationals living in, or visiting, the UAE.

"However, British nationals are urged to be vigilant and to take appropriate measures to protect their personal security." Consul Ian Wilson in Riyadh said the cause of Friday's blast was not yet known.

"The Saudi Arabian authorities are still investigating the matter and haven't said what caused the explosion." Wilson yesterday visited Jane Rodway who miraculously escaped with only a cut leg in the blast which killed her husband.

"She is shocked and distressed as you would expect, but is being looked after by friends," he said. "She said there was an explosion in the car but couldn't really say much more than that.

"She said people who were in the area at the time were very helpful and comforting as they waited for the ambulance to arrive which took them to hospital in a matter of minutes."