British and American governments yesterday told all remaining nationals in Kuwait to leave urgently as United Nations observers began withdrawing from on the border zone with Iraq.
The new British Foreign Office advice, warning of the risk of an attack from Iraq which "might involve chemical and biological weapons", has meant that Britons currently in Kuwait have been given 48 hours' notice to pack up and leave before war begins.
An official at the British embassy in Kuwait, which has also seen its numbers reduced to a bare minimum, said: "This is very much a final call for people to get on the first aeroplane and return home or remain here at their own risk.
"We don't expect there to be a problem as many people have already left or have made plans to do so," said the official travel advice issued last month.
The advice notice had asked British and American nationals to consider leaving.
This has meant that only a few hundred of the 20,000-strong Anglo-American community have remained in Kuwait. The departure of the final Britons and Americans came as the 700 UN observers who have monitored the 200-mile-long demilitarised zone on the Iraq-Kuwait border since the first Gulf War withdrew. Daljeet Bagga, UN spokesman for the observation mission, said: "We have decided to leave all areas in the border zone to ensure the safety of our staff."
There have already been "frequent" incursions in recent weeks into the demilitarized zone by American forces gathering on the border, and a series of gates to facilitate troop movement constructed.
"In light of the number of troops gathering in and around the demilitarised zone our job for the time being is over," said Bagga.
The evacuation of the UN force is the latest indication that a war against Iraq could be imminent.
Attention will now focus on the UN weapons inspectors inside Iraq who must leave before war can begin.
An American military official said: "We're waiting for all United Nations elements to leave the theatre. Then we shall be all clear to begin prosecuting a war."