By Duncan Walker and Kariuki Mureithi BBC News Online

British tourists have been arriving back from Kenya

The decision to ban British flights to and from Kenya amid fears of a terrorist attack has alarmed many Britons already in the country.

Hundreds of tourists stranded by the decision must now find another way of getting home and many are concerned about their safety while they remain.

Heather Nedwell, who is leaving on a Kenyan Airways flight on Friday night, told BBC News Online she would be in "constant prayer" until her plane touches down in London.

But the sense of unease is not shared by many expatriates in Kenya, with some raising concerns that the warning is an overreaction which could seriously affect the country's economy.

'Brilliant' security

Mrs Nedwell, from London, has been in Kenya for six weeks.

She said: "I need to get out because my family in London are feeling worried and I have to be a bit responsible and get out now as soon as I can."

It's better to take precautions than to have some kind of disaster Sandy Cumming, British tourist

She was always due to fly with Kenyan Airlines, which is not affected by the warning, but is still concerned about the possibility of a threat to British tourists.

Speaking from the beach resort of Malindi, Mrs Nedwell said: "I'm not worried at all at the resort - the security here is brilliant.

"But I will be worried once I get to the airport."

Roadblock

Fears about the increased risk of a terrorist attack were also raised by Sandy Cumming, who was reminded of the deaths of 13 people when a bomb exploded in a hotel used by Israelis last November.

A terror attack on a hotel killed 13 last November

Mr Cumming, who comes from London, said: "Our hotel is straight across from the Israeli embassy and the Kenyan soldiers have set up a new roadblock and they have their hands on their guns, which is quite unusual."

He was due to fly home on Sunday with British Airways and although he now faces an uncertain wait, Mr Cumming backs the flights ban.

"I don't think BA would suspend flights unless there was a potential threat, so I agree with them. We will have to work out how we get out.

"It's better to take precautions than to have some kind of disaster."

'Doom and gloom'

But the potential impact of the alert on the East African country's economy was criticised by other Britons in Kenya.

Hotelier Andrew Muir said the warning meant "doom and gloom" for many people working in the tourism industry - even though holidays were continuing as normal for visitors.

About 100,000 Britons holiday each year in Kenya

"We've got about 50 or 60 tourists here and they're still enjoying themselves, they're still sunning themselves on the beach and they're all going off on their safaris as normal, as if nothing untoward is happening."

And aid worker Andrew Warburton, based in Nairobi, said the warning would add to the bad press already suffered by a country he considers "extremely safe".

But there is little they can do except hope that visitors will continue to arrive from Britain and support Kenya's lucrative tourist industry.

About 100,000 Britons a year holiday in the country and their loss is not something it can afford to see.