BahrainNorton Rose has offered to repatriate staff from its Bahrain branch ahead of the expected launch this week of a US-led invasion of Iraq.

The London firm said two staff had taken up the offer to return, following a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) warning on Tuesday (18 March) for all British citizens to leave the Gulf state. The FCO believes Bahrain is a prime target for domestic terrorism in the wake of an Iraqi war, because of its predominantly Shi’ite population.