All quiet on the streets of Tunis

Thousands of weary Britons are spending their first day home after returning from Tunisia. The vast majority enjoying winter sun breaks in the north African country have been flown home by their tour operators over the last two days. On Saturday, Thomson and First Choice evacuated 1,437 holidaymakers on seven flights to airports around the country. Thomas Cook flew 300 passengers to Manchester, the day after bringing 1,500 passengers back. It is thought there were approximately 1,000 expats living across Tunisia, famed for its beautiful climate and quality of life, before this week's political upheaval saw scores of nationals killed, buildings torched and businesses looted. Last night, some returning passengers compared the popular tourist spot to a war zone. Angela Khalifa, 56, from Newhall, Derbyshire, was visiting her Tunisian husband's family but had to cut her holiday short by a day. After jetting into Birmingham Airport, she said: "The banks had broken glass, and the big shops too, like a little war zone with the military all there now. I was a bit frightened coming back." Holidaymakers were ordered to leave after the Foreign Office urged only essential travel, as chaotic and angry scenes played out across the country. During the unrest more than 1,000 prisoners escaped from Mahdia jail and 42 inmates were killed in a prison fire in Monastir. The nation swore in a new interim president on Saturday, Fouad Mebazaa, with former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing to Saudi Arabia.

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ITN | January 16, 2011

Tags:. .UK News. .african. .escaped. .mahdia. .derbyshire