Five alleged rapes against British nationals have been reported on the Greek island of Corfu in the last two months, the Foreign Office has said.

Consular staff on the popular island resort were made aware of the separate claims on 21 June, 18 July, 19 July and 25 July, officials confirmed.

All of the victims were aged between 18 and 21, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Allegations have previously been made that authorities on Corfu and other Greek islands have been withholding the true statistics about rapes because of fears about their effect on tourism.

We don't believe that there has been a marked increase of alleged rape cases on Greece and the islands

Foreign Office

The Telegraph claims that classified files held by Greek police put the number of British rape victims at 44 since 1994.

But police told the paper they were often frustrated because victims were reluctant to report the case, or to proceed with legal action once they had reported it.

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the five most recent allegations but said he could not comment on the so-called secret police files.

Safety advice

"We can only comment on those cases reported to us and we don't believe that there has been a marked increase of alleged rape cases on Greece and the islands," he stated.

But he said Britons should take the same precautions when travelling as they would in the UK.

Advice to women

Don't walk home alone in the dark Don't accept lifts from strangers Don't leave drinks unattended Do tell someone where you are Source: Thomson Holidays

"Personal attacks including sexual assaults and rape are infrequent," he said.

"However, there have recently been a number of widely-reported incidents of sexual assault and rape on some Greek islands.

"Visitors are therefore advised to maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as in the UK."

In June there were a spate of arrests on the Greek island of Rhodes, following reports of rapes of British women in the popular resort of Faliraki.

The Foreign Office recently reviewed its travel advice to Greece, strongly advising women never to accept lifts from strangers or acquaintances.