Gun raid on cruise tourists

Masked men with guns and hand grenades robbed British tourists in a dawn raid on a small South American river cruise ship.

The bandits forced the holidaymakers from their beds and tied them by their hands and feet before stealing thousands of pounds of valuables.

The attack happened on the Ucayali river in the Peruvian Amazon.

The nine robbers were today on the run after a shoot-out with police who tracked them to their jungle hideout.

Officers recovered some of the victims' belongings along with guns and walkie-talkies used by the gang.

Security in the area was stepped up in the aftermath of the raid, the second of its kind in a fortnight.