Trouble spots

This week's advice from the Foreign Office (0171-238 4503)

France: Travellers to France should be vigilant, particularly in the big cities. Suspicious or unattended baggage, vehicles and packages should be avoided, and reported immediately to the authorities. Travellers should always carry identity papers/ passport, and must expect to be searched.

Visitors to the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy should be aware that the French authorities are restricting maritime activities in the area of the La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant, while work is carried out.

Lithuania: Visitors, especially if single, should be wary of accepting food and drink from strangers in bars, night clubs and restaurants as a number of travellers have been drugged or poisoned.

Romania: Policemen have been stopping foreign cars and demanding payment of fines in hard currency for spurious offences. Some policemen may be bogus. If approached, decline to pay the fine but offer instead to go with them to the nearest police station.