Over 1,000 Britons are jailed over drugs abroad

Foreign Office figures for 30 September 2009 showed 1,057 of 2,582 Britons then jailed abroad were on drugs charges.

The majority were held in Spain, with 207, followed by the US, with 141, and Thailand and France, both holding 79.

Europe minister Chris Bryant said those arrested on drugs offences faced long jail terms in harsh conditions.

"The message is clear - we can't get people out of jail in other countries, so if you don't want to waste your life away in a tough foreign jail, be sensible and keep clean," he said.

Overall, the US detained the highest number of British nationals, with 669 in jail, followed by Spain, with 357, and Australia, with 271. Of the 2,582 detained in total, 256 were women and 2,326 men.

British nationals are being urged to respect the laws of the country they are visiting and be aware of the penalties they face if they break the law.

The death sentence can be handed down against people convicted of drug smuggling in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Other countries, including Cyprus, India, Venezuela, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, can impose long sentences, even for small quantities of drugs.

The Foreign Office also warned that many people have an unrealistic expectation of what can be done for them if they are arrested abroad.