British forces are to carry out an evacuation of British nationals from the troubled west African state of Ivory Coast, it was announced yesterday.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said the Army's Spearhead Lead Company Group, drawn from the Royal Gurkha Rifles, was being deployed to neighbouring Ghana to assist the operation.

The evacuation will also involve a number of RAF transport aircraft, Mr Hoon said. About 300 people will be involved in the deployment.

The move follows the outbreak of violence at the weekend in the main city, Abidjan, aimed at French peacekeepers in the former French colony.

Mr Hoon said in a Commons written statement that the Government placed the utmost priority on protecting its citizens, whether at home or abroad.

"We are always prepared to deploy British forces to evacuate UK nationals should their lives be placed in jeopardy," he said.

The Gurkhas flew into Accra, the capital of Ghana, on Wednesday, where they are on "immediate notice" to move into Ivory Coast to support the evacuation if required.

France, which has 14,000 nationals in the country, has already begun an evacuation of hundreds of foreigners who are being shuttled out in a series of airliners.