Boris Johnson vows military presence 'ratcheting up' to help those affected on his way to Hurricane Irma-ravaged Caribbean

Foreign Secretary: Mr Johnson talks to Royal Marines in Barbados where he stopped on his way to visit British territories
PA
Chloe Chaplain12 September 2017
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Boris Johnson vowed the British military presence in the Caribbean is "ratcheting up" as more troops are shipped out to help communities devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Speaking for the first time since it was revealed he would be travelling to the region, the Foreign Secretary said his visit is a "very important statement" to show the Government is "here for UK nationals" and is a "sign of our absolute commitment to them".

In an interview conducted on board a Virgin Atlantic flight as he headed towards the British territories ravaged by the storm, he said: "The military presence is really ratcheting up now.

"Yesterday there were about 700 troops in the region that has now gone up to 1,000. It will go up to 1,250 in the course of the next few days."

Boris: the Foreign Secretary is on his way to visit those affected by the hurricane
PA

Hundreds of UK troops and 50 police officers have already been sent to the British Virgin Islands after they were battered by the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

Recovery and aid efforts are under way to help those trying to piece together their lives from the ruins of the weather front, which has since been downgraded from a hurricane.

UK Armed Forces respond to Hurricane Irma - In pictures

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During his short visit to Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, Mr Johnson will meet governors and other officials leading the recovery work, and will see first hand some of the most hard-hit places.

His flight stopped at Barbados on the way, where he talked to the pilots of an RAF A400M aircraft, and to Royal Marines from 40 Commando.

Visit: Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson prepares to board an RAF A400M aircraft in Barbados
PA

The Government had faced claims that the UK had done less to evacuate its citizens than other nations and did not have the correct equipment in place to deal with the catastrophe in the Caribbean.

Mr Johnson told the Press Association the hurricane has been "an unprecedented event, an unprecedented catastrophe" for the people who live in the part of the Caribbean which has been worst hit.

"What they're seeing is an unprecedented UK response, but I want to stress it is not just for the short term, we are going to be there for the long term as well," he added.

Pressed on how he thinks he will be received during the visit by those affected, Mr Johnson said: "Most fair-minded people have said that the UK responded extremely fast and extremely well.

Irma: The British Virgin Islands before and after the hurricane hit
AP

"We had RFA Mounts Bay in position in the region before the hurricane struck - it would have been totally absurd to bring troops in or bring heavy aircraft during the storm itself."

When asked what he hopes to gain from the trip, he said it is "very, very important people at home understand the savagery of the storm that has hit communities that are British".

"But I think what I have been amazed by so far, is not so much the impact of the storm, as the resilience and community spirit of those people - coming together to put their islands back on their feet and we are here to help," he added.

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