Holidaymakers landing in the UK after being evacuated from Tunisia have accused the British government of 'giving in to terrorists', claiming they feel safer in the North African country than on home soil.

The Foreign Office yesterday called for Britons to leave the country where 38 tourists were shot dead two weeks ago, saying another ISIS attack is now 'highly likely'.

But after tour companies began flying home the 3,000 British holidaymakers now in North Africa, many said they felt the government has overreacted - leading Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to defend the decision, which he said was carefully considered and not a 'knee-jerk reaction'.

The Evans family - (left to right) Ava, 14, mother Hazel, 37, Calvin, 12, Sandra, 45, Holly, 17, and Sherie, 23 - were flown back from their holiday in Tunisa today, along with hundreds of others

The Whitton family (parents Tony and Esther and daughter Natalie) who often travel to Tunisia and have made friends with locals, said they felt sorry for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the terror attacks

But many of those returning felt the government has overreacted. Tracey Caborn (left) said: 'I think we've given into the terrorists' and Clive Ryder (right) said he felt perfectly safe in Tunisia

The first flight from Tunisia containing evacuated holidaymakers landed in Manchester this afternoon

The plane was chartered after the Foreign Office urged tourists to leave the country over terror fears

One young couple, with their 21-month-old son, told the Daily Mail: 'We were saying to each other that there is probably more of a chance of a terror attack at Manchester airport than here now.

'There are Army trucks and police everywhere in Sousse. We have felt completely safe.'

David Magliano, 52, managing director of membership at the Guardian newspaper, had his family holiday with pregnant wife Jo, 39, and sons Oliver, seven, and Hugo, two, cut short.

'I do think it’s definitely giving in to terrorism,' he said.

'It’s like theatrical policing. It’s like having loads of police on the Underground. They are not likely to prevent anything.

'It just gives that superficial sense of reassurance.'

After landing at Heathrow this afternoon, he added that the impact would be ‘devastating’ for those working in Tunisia’s tourism industry, on which the country is heavily reliant.

He said: 'I feel bad, not for us having a holiday cut short by a couple of days – that’s not an issue – but the fact there are so many people directly employed by the tourism industry, or the taxi companies or in souks, it affects so many people.'

Indeed, concern for the people whose livelihoods relied on the tourist industry was top of many people's minds.

Alex Neave-Vince and girlfriend Amy Robinson, from Ipswich, arrived in Sousse on the day of the attack, and were staying a 15 minute walk away from where it took place.

Despite the horror of what happened, the couple had a 'lovely holiday'.

Mr Neave-Vince said: 'The Tunisian people are incredible. All they did was apologise for the attack.

'They were taking the blame for what happened. A few of the guys from our hotel are going to lose their jobs the hotel is going to close.

'This has devastated the country. Its absolute horrible. In Tunisia everyone is friendly really sad.

'By getting all the British people home they have crippled the country because a lot of their money comes from tourism. But it was so safe there, police were everywhere. We’d happily go back. It’s not the country’s fault.'

The Hopson family - Clare, 41, and Paul, 42, with son Aiden, 19, and daughter Alice, 15, managed to get their full holiday, but told MailOnline it was a 'shame' what as happening in Tunisia

Tourists queue at Enfidha airport in Tunisia after being moved on to an extra flight home today

Tracey Caborn, 49, from Castleford, was mid-way through a break with her sister, Maureen and their mum Debbie, was angry on arrival back in the UK.

She said: 'I think they've acted irrationally. I'm very disappointed. I would have stayed. I never felt threatened at all. We had guards all round us. I think we've given in to the terrorists a bit. I'm mortified by it all.

SCRAMBLE FOR CHEAP BREAKS Tour operators are being swamped by a scramble for holidays from 300,000 Britons who have lost trips to Tunisia. People have complained on social media about being kept waiting for hours to get through to helplines. And most of the holidays left in travel agents’ windows are more expensive than those to Tunisia where packages are relatively cheap. Thomson-First Choice and Thomas Cook have put on extra holidays to alternative destinations such as Spain, Turkey, the Algarve, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Britons who make independent plans to go to Tunisia have been warned the Foreign Office advice means their travel insurance will not be valid. Families have been complaining bitterly about the high price of replacement holidays on the Facebook pages of Thomas Cook and Thomson. Advertisement

'We would have all stayed. I think they've handled it disgracefully. There was security on the roof, on the beach, everywhere. It was fine.'

Clive Ryder, 44, an animal welfare officer from Gloucester, added: 'We're disappointed that our holiday has been cut short. There were a lot of people walking around with guns looking out for us and we felt safe.'

Esther Whitton wore an 'I love Tunisia' T-shirt as she arrived at Manchester Airport on a specially-arranged Thomas Cook flight today.

The Forestry Commission worker, 56, said: 'It's horrendous for the Tunisian people. Within 24 hours of the shooting there were something like 1,000 people out of work.'

Les Aston, 61, from Shrewsbury, was six days in a fortnight long holiday with his wife Sue.

He added: 'We didn't want to go. What is the point in going home when they've got more guards than tourists? We're not happy about it and we don't really know where we stand. I blame our government.'

Their words were echoed by those waiting to board flights to Gatwick from Enfidha airport.

Lewis Richardson, 22, from Manchester, with his partner Rossario Carter and his son Chase, said their holiday had been cut short by two days.

The council worker said: 'We didn't want to loose our hard earned cash by not coming here and we only booked it the day before the attack happened.

'We were told we couldn't get a refund.'

Holidaymakers were taken by bus from their hotels this morning ahead of extra flights laid on for them

Many holidaymakers packed their bags after the Foreign Office warned of further terror attacks

Others have raised concerns about the lack of guards on the buses which took the holidaymakers to the airports today.

Angela Scott, 45, from Glasgow, was due to stay until Sunday with her husband David, 47, and daughter Ashleigh, 23.

'It was a bit worrying that here was no police presence on our coach back to the airport. Anything could have happened,' she said, while also critcising the 'shocking' organisation.

But not all of those who arrived back today hit out at the Foreign Office decision however.

Tom Batty, 29, and his girlfriend Chloe Johnson, 22, had only been at their hotel for 12 hours when they were forced to abandon their week-long break.

I'm very disappointed. I would have stayed. I never felt threatened at all. I think we've given in to the terrorists a bit. Angry holidaymaker Tracey Caborn

Mr Batty, a social worker from Sheffield, said: 'Some of the people with guns were about 14 so it didn't feel like appropriate security was in place.

'I think the government has probably made the right call because I don't think the security was up to it.'

Kevin Tappin, from Essex, who travelled with about a dozen members of his family, was on the last day of his holiday when he was told they would have to evacuate.

'When we were told we had to go it was a bit shocking. We were in the swimming pool at the time and all of a sudden they came running out, saying you’ve got to evacuate,' he said after landing at Stansted earlier this evening.

'You thought ‘oh my god is there another attack’ or something. You wonder what was going on.'

Retired pensioners Roger and Pam Posketh, from Crewe, were also given little time to pack once the government advice came through - but still said bringing tourists home was the right thing to do.

'It's been badly handled and I don't know why. We were phoned and told we had 45 minutes to get on our way. You've gotta go now. No choice,' he told MailOnline.

'I do actually think it's the right decision but now that quickly. Even a couple of hours would've been nice. You don't expect that. It was very tense.

'You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. There was security at first but they soon took if off our hotel. The Tunisian people were very sad. They were getting no help. God knows what will happen there now.

'There will be riots out there because they have no money and they can't pay their rent.'

Retired pensioners Roger and Pam Posketh, from Crewe, said they were given less than an hour's warning to flee the country - but still said bringing tourists home was the right thing to do

Long queues formed at check-in desks at Enfidha International airport, which is not far from Sousse

Chris Lee, who lives in Belfast, but is traveling back to Oxford with his partner, was five days into a 10 day break when they were told they would have to fly home.

He too feels bad for the people they have left behind.

'The town we were in was lovely and the Tunisian people are great and so appreciative of the English because we put so much money into their economy,' he said.

'There were police everywhere all armed.

'Some hotels only have five people in them and it’s hardly worth it to turn the electricity on. But they still they open and begged us to come back.

'I feel sorry for the Tunisians. I don’t think there was any further threat. We walked down the streets went to the restaurants and everybody there felt reasonably secure.'

Les Aston, 61, from Shrewsbury, added: 'The staff were in tears when we left the hotel. Tourism in Tunisia will be ruined.'

The flight that landed in Manchester today was the first of those which have been laid on to evacuate up to 3,000 British package holidaymakers and 300 independent travellers believed to be in the country. Most will come home over the weekend.

There has been confusion among some of those told to leave that German and French tourists, whose governments have different advice for travellers, are staying on in the resorts.

Holidaymaker Myles Roberts said he would return to Tunisia once the travel advice changes.

He told Radio 4's World At One: 'There are nine security guards with machine guns around my hotel, there's a speed boat patrolling up and down with a machine gun on that too. I feel safer here than I ever have in London.'

There was confusion amongst some tourists as to why visitors from other countries were not told to leave

British officials were on hand at Enfidha International airport after extra flights to Britain were laid on

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond today defended his decision to upgrade the threat level, insisting said the Government had been careful not to act in a 'knee-jerk manner' after the Sousse attack.

But, he said: 'We now have a much better picture of the emerging scale of the threat as well as a much better understanding of the mitigations the Tunisians have put in place.

'We have had to take the decision that it is too big a risk to continue allowing British tourists to travel in Tunisia.'

Mr Hammond said that the UK will continue to work with Tunisia on improving security and hoped to downgrade the travel advice 'in the not too distant future'.

A British ex-pat in Tunisia has said she will not let terrorists force her out of the country she loves and called on the Foreign Office to release more information about the threat.

Julie Barnett-King, 53, who spends her time between Tunisia and London, and has been living in Hammamet for around three years, said she did not have enough information to make a decision.

Some tourists have expressed anger at the Foreign Office for allowing them to travel there in recent weeks

Some said they felt sorry for the Tunisian people whose livelihoods stand to be destroyed by the terrorists

She added that she was in London on the day of the massacre and cried when she heard the news, but that although not everyone will understand her choice, she feels safe in the country.

Ms Barnett-King said: 'I think most of us ex-pats just love Tunisia and we don't want to abandon it. It isn't that we don't care about ourselves, but I am not going to be scaremongered into leaving.

'We don't know what information the UK Government has. Part of me feels like I won't let the terrorists tell me what I can and can't do.

'I will look around me a bit more and be vigilant - it is stupid to stick your head in the sand and think that nothing will happen.'

She added: 'But before I decide to move back to England permanently, I think it is necessary that ex-pats are given more information about the threat.

'There are a lot of British women who have married Tunisian men, and have children and families, so for a lot of them they are more Tunisian than English. They stayed here for the revolution, but we are dealing with a completely different animal.

'We really don't know what the full situation is, and until I get that, or there is another major attack, I am staying put.

BRITISH HOLIDAY MAKERS 'DISAPPOINTED' BY TUNISIAN AIRLIFT PLAN Heidi Barlow, pictured, criticised the decision to airlift British tourists out of Tunisia claiming the level of security in the area means that it is safe A British holidaymaker in Tunisia has said she is 'disappointed' after the Foreign Office ordered travel companies to pull tourists out of the country. Heidi Barlow, 34, arrived on Wednesday in Hammamet, a town of north of Sousse, with her mother Lesley, but now expects their 10-day holiday to be cut short. The pair were informed of the warning by family and friends in the UK, before the information was confirmed by a Thomas Cook representative. Ms Barlow, a marketing manager, said the news was a 'shock' for fellow British holidaymakers in Tunisia. She said: 'We would actually be happy to stay in the current situation because we feel so safe. It's very quiet. And you can't imagine that anything could happen. 'People feel safe. They certainly didn't expect to have to leave.' She added: 'On every single entrance to the hotels there's a guard. There's armed guards on the beaches. It's extremely secure and probably more secure than a lot of places you could go at the moment.' According to Ms Barlow, just 40 guests are staying in the resort, which usually hosts up to 1,300 tourists, and described the atmosphere as 'quite eerie'. Ms Barlow defended her decision to visit Tunisia, after booking the trip last week. She said: 'In comparison to a lot of places in the world at the moment it's probably one of the safest places to go.' But Ms Barlow said she respected the latest advice. She said: 'At the moment we are disappointed with the decision to remove British people from the country because we don't see any issues. 'Having said that, you never see an issue until it happens so we appreciate it is being done for security reasons.' Advertisement

Families haul their suitcases onto an extra flight put on by Thomas Cook to evacuated tourists from Tunisia

Many said they had mixed feelings about leaving but felt they could not ignore the government advic

All 30 Britons killed by Rezgui last month were either Thomson or First Choice customers, and, as a result, the companies have no guests in Tunisia at the moment.

Following the Government's warning, Thomson and First Choice immediately cancelled all flights to Tunisia for the summer season.

They added that 'as a precautionary measure we have taken the decision to repatriate all British Thomson and First Choice staff currently working in Tunisia within the next 24 hours'.

Between 2,500-3,000 British tourists are believed to be in Tunisia and around 300 independent travellers.

The timing of the change could lead to questions over why tourists have been allowed to carry on travelling to Tunisia for two weeks since the attack.

Anyone due to travel to Tunisia with the two companies this summer will be given the opportunity to amend their holiday free of charge or receive a full refund.

TUNISIA HITS OUT AT GOVERNMENT POSITION AND VOWS 'REPERCUSSIONS' Tunisian Prime Minister, Habib Essid Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid (pictured right) is to speak to David Cameron today to respond to his government's advice that the North African nation is unsafe for holidays. Essid told a late-night session of parliament that the guidance would 'have repercussions' for Britain.. 'We will ring the British prime minister to tell him we have done everything we can to protect all British interests and those of others countries - that's our duty,' Essid said. 'Britain is free to take whatever decision it likes - it's a sovereign country - but we too are a sovereign country and we have a position to take.' Tunisia has brought in a raft of new security measures, including arming tourist police, since a jihadist gunman killed 38 foreign holidaymakers. Tunisia's ambassador to London, Nabil Ammar, accused Britain of giving in to the jihadists and playing into their hands. 'By damaging the tourism, by having foreigners leaving the country, they damage the whole sector and put so many people out of work and on the streets,' he said. Advertisement

ISIS gunman Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani seen calmly walking on Sousse beach carrying the gun he used to murder 30 British tourists

Tears: Tourists visiting the beach at Sousse have been leaving their own tributes to the victims

Thomas Cook has confirmed that it had cancelled all bookings to Tunisia up until October 31.

In a statement published on the Foreign Office said: 'If you're in Tunisia and you don't have an essential need to remain you should leave by commercial means.

'Tour operators are arranging additional flights and will be organising departures for their customers. If you're travelling with a tour operator, you should contact your tour operator's representative in the first instance.

'If you're travelling independently, you should make your own arrangements to leave'

Thirty eight foreign tourists were killed in last month's terror attack, including 30 Britons.

The Foreign Office warned that further terrorist attacks were likely to target tourist resorts and by 'individuals unknown to the authorities' inspired by terrorist groups on the internet.

It comes after the Tunisian government revealed plans to build a 100-mile wall along its border with Libya to stop ISIS terrorists crossing into the country.

The country's Prime Minister Habib Essid said the barrier would stretch inland from the Mediterranean coast which has become a new breeding ground for the Islamic State and other terror groups.

The gunman, Seifeddine Rezgui, is believed to have trained with the Ansar al-Sharia group in Libya along with jihadis who shot dead 22 people at a museum in the capital Tunis in March.