Britain toughens travel warning for Zimbabwe

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain advised citizens on Thursday against all but essential travel to Zimbabwe because of heightened tension following elections that the opposition says it won.

Britain's Foreign Office issued new, stricter travel advice a day after Prime Minister Gordon Brown increased criticism of the conduct of the March 29 elections, saying no one believed Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe had won.

"We advise against all but essential travel to Zimbabwe at this time due to the continuing tension surrounding the election and the deployment of uniformed forces (police and military) and war veterans across the country," the Foreign Office said.

Previously, Britain, the former colonial power, had advised only against travel to farming areas of Zimbabwe.

"The current situation is unpredictable, volatile and could deteriorate quickly, without warning," the Foreign Office said.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF party lost control of parliament for the first time in the election.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he won the presidential poll, but no official results have been released.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has accused Mugabe's government of delaying the results to give it time to find an "alternative to the will of the people".

Zimbabwe's justice minister accused Brown on Thursday of treating Zimbabwe like a British colony.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)