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Four people, believed to be British, have been kidnapped in Nigeria's southern Delta state, police in the country have said.

The four were reportedly taken at about 02:00 local time on Friday when suspected militants stormed a rural community they were living in.

The Foreign Office has not commented.

Andrew Aniamaka, a police spokesman in Nigeria, said officers had identified a militant group, calling themselves the Karowei, as the main suspects.

No ransom demand had yet been made, he added.

´óÏó´«Ã½ reporter Stephanie Hegarty, based in the Nigerian commercial capital Lagos, said police believe the reported kidnapping could be a response to a recent surge in efforts to tackle militancy in the region.

She said kidnapping for ransom is common in the oil-rich Niger Delta area.

against all but essential travel to parts of southern Nigeria, saying there is "a high threat of kidnap throughout Nigeria".