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 07 September 2008 03:32 BST

Hen and stag parties 'fuelling bad behaviour abroad'

Thursday, 02 Aug 2007 10:49
More hen and stag parties are heading to Prague
A "massive influx" of British stag and hen parties to the Czech Republic has seen the country become one of the nations where Britons are most likely to need consular assistance, new research has found.

Due to Brits increasingly choosing to celebrate their forthcoming nuptials in the country's capital, Prague, a "disproportionate number" of lost passports, arrests and hospitalisations resulting from their holidays there are reported, the Foreign Office has revealed.

India, Thailand and Australia also appear in the top ten list of countries where Britons are most likely to need consular assistance, the department says in its latest British Behaviour Abroad report.

Officials say the trend suggests that while British holidaymakers are opting to travel to more "adventurous" destinations, they are failing to prepare adequately for their journeys before they go.

The government is subsequently urging travellers to make proper plans for their trip in order to avoid having to seek consular help, including by taking photocopies of important documents such as their passports with them and by ensuring that they have adequate travel insurance.

In Spain, the country most visited by British nationals in the period from April 2005 to March 2006, 6,078 UK holidaymakers reported that their passports had been lost or stolen – the highest number of any country.

More Britons were also arrested in Spain that elsewhere, with 1,549 arrests reported for the 13.8 million UK holidaymakers that went there. It also had the highest number of deaths at 1,325, followed by France at 376.

Britons are more likely to hospitalised in Greece, the report found, with 955 people admitted for treatment there. Spain had the next highest number with 601, followed by France with 210.

Roads, beaches, hotels, remote locations and ski slopes were the five locations where injuries were most likely to occur abroad, the Foreign Office said.

Commenting on the findings, Foreign Office minister Meg Munn said: "As this report shows, although some of the incidents people face are unavoidable, many can be prevented with a little planning and careful preparation."
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