Gambia's President-elect has said he will be inaugurated later despite his predecessor refusing to cede power.

Adama Barrow, a former security guard at Argos, posted the news on Facebook and Twitter, saying he will be sworn into office at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal.

Mr Barrow won an election in December, but President Yahya Jammeh, who has been in power for more than two decades, has refused to step down despite a midnight deadline.

He claims there were irregularities in the election and does not accept the result.

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Troops from Senegal and other West African countries are poised to cross the border with the intention of forcing him to give up power.

Mr Barrow was a political unknown a matter of months ago, but was thrust into the limelight when eight opposition parties put him forward as a unifying figure.

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The 51-year-old lived in Britain for three-and-a-half years when he was younger, and worked at an Argos in London.

Thousands of Gambians have fled across the border to Senegal to escape a possible conflict, including a number of former cabinet ministers who have resigned in recent days.

Nigeria has deployed fighter jets and surveillance planes to Senegal, while Ghana has also pledged to contribute to the regional force.

The Gambia's army chief has said his troops will not fight the entry of outside forces.

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Thousands of British tourists have also been caught up in the crisis, and they have started to arrive back in the UK from The Gambia.

With fears that the turmoil could see Banjul airport close at short notice, holiday companies put plans into place to fly thousands of Britons home.

Thomas Cook said it had 985 package tourists and 2,500 "flight-only" customers in the West African country and it expects to have brought them all back - on 16 flights - by the end of Friday.

Among those who arrived overnight on Wednesday was Sara Wilkins, from Church Stretton, Shropshire, who said: "We just panicked, just threw everything in a case and just got out of there, basically.

Tourists arrive home from Gambian uncertainty

"It was a nightmare at the airport - people were crying and panicking. It was just chaos."

Ebrima Jagne is from The Gambia, where he lives with his wife and three-month-old daughter, but he works in the UK.

He arrived at Manchester Airport late on Wednesday and told Sky News he had to leave his family behind.

"I'm really desperate ... I feel so sad that I have to leave my daughter and my wife and members of my family and I don't know what's going to come next."