Hurricane Irma: UK increases relief fund to �32m

The UK government has increased the relief fund for British overseas territories devastated by Hurricane Irma to �32m, Theresa May has said.

The announcement - increasing the fund from �12m - was made by the prime minister as she said the government had responded "swiftly" to the disaster.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the government was doing all it could to help people affected.

It comes after the UK's response to the storm was labelled "sorely lacking".

The low-lying British territory of Turks and Caicos is still in the storm's path and evacuations have started.

Medical assistance

Hurricane Irma has caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean, reducing buildings to rubble and leaving at least nine people dead.

Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said British overseas territory Anguilla received the hurricane's "full blast" while the British Virgin Islands would need "extensive humanitarian assistance".

At least one death has been reported on Anguilla, according to local officials.

A third British territory, Montserrat, was "swiped" but the damage was not as bad as first thought, Sir Alan said.

Briton Emily Killhoury, has lived on Tortola, the main island in the British Virgin Islands, with her husband Michael and their two children, aged nine and 10, for five years.