TOURISTS are being urged to stay away from Somerset.

Visit Somerset chief executive John Turner, whose job normally involves attracting as many people as possible to the county, is telling tourists, 'We don't want you here'.

Asked by the BBC for his his message to potential toursists, Mr Turner said: "Don't come to Somerset right now.

"There are bigger issues out there."

He added: "People are dying.

"Essentially what we need to do now is that we take the pressure off of the public services."