Addis Abeba — Four athletes from Ethiopia have gone missing during a visit to Britain for an international athletics event, according to reports from UK.

The athletes who have vanished in the UK are believed to be seeking asylum, Mirror reported yesterday.

The two men and two women were among a team of 10 due to compete in a televised competition in Scotland, the report said.

"But one of the Africans fled shortly after landing at Heathrow." Another three disappeared from the team hotel before they were due to catch a flight to Edinburgh yesterday, Mirror said adding that two were spotted sneaking out of the foyer by one of the team's managers - "but an attempt to stop them failed." The athletes fled their hotel in London on Tuesday and failed to make a connecting flight to Edinburgh ahead of the Falkirk Cup athletics event, another report by AFP cited officials as having said.

"My colleague actually tried to restrain two of them but they ran off," the report quoted Dagmawit Amare, an official with the Ethiopian team management, on Tuesday.

"This is such a sad thing to happen for my country and the sport." Scottish Athletics chief executive Geoff Wightman said the incident had been reported to authorities.

"We invited them, so it's our duty to report it to the authorities," the report quoted the chief executive.

According to AFP the missing athletes were said to be women's 200m runner Betelhem Shewatatek, Feleke Bekele (women's 400m hurdles), Hagos Tadesse (men's 400m) and Tirehas Haileselassie (men's 400m hurdles).

"This is very embarrassing for our country and for our athletics team. We are not worried about the safety of the athletes who disappeared because it appears obvious they are seeking asylum." Mirror quoted the Ethiopian team co-ordinator as saying.

"I am so sorry this has happened." "My colleague actually tried to restrain two of them but they ran off. This is such a sad thing to happen for my country and the sport." The Ethiopian embassy in London is liaising with the Home Office over the missing athletes and their expected claims for asylum, it was learnt.