British Tourist 'Raped' On Holiday in Sharm-el-Sheikh

A British holidaymaker claims she was raped in her hotel room by a security guard at the popular Egyptian resort where she was staying.

The guard had been walking with the woman back to her room in a five-star hotel in Sharm-el-Sheikh, when she alleges he pulled her into her bedroom and raped her.

The alleged victim, in her forties, was assisted by the British Consulate in the Red Sea resort.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of an incident involving a British national. We are providing assistance."

The FCO website warns British tourists about a rise in crime. "In 2012, the FCO handled 23 cases of sexual assault and six cases of rape against British tourists while on holiday in Egypt."

The victim has since flown back to Britain and been interviewed by detectives from Hampshire Police.

The attack comes as the Foreign Office has warned of a rise in cases of sexual assault against Britons in Egypt since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, including in hotels.

Recent figures show the number of European tourists visiting Egypt has dropped by 24%, prompting the Egyptian Government to beef up security measures in tourist regions, including Sharm-el-Sheikh, to protect tourists. The tourism industry accounts for about 10% of the country's gross domestic product.

In 2010, Egypt received 14.7 million visitors, a record high, but numbers dipped to just 10 million in 2011 before climbing to 11.5 million in 2012. The numbers of visitors in 2013 is not yet known.

There has been political unrest in Egypt since former president Hosni Mubarak was deposed in 2011. Tourist areas around the Red Sea had been considered generally safe, but in recent months German and Swiss tourist operators have changed the travel advice they give to citizens.

The German branch of Tui Travel, Europe's largest tour operator, and other companies are sending home hundreds of German tourists after the German government changed its travel advice to the region. Swiss tourists have been warned against travelling to Sharm-el-Sheikh.