Ethiopian flag August 25 - A group of Ethiopian athletes have fled from their hotel in London and failed to make their connecting flight to Edinburgh to compete at the  Falkirk Cup athletics event.

Scottish Athletics chief executive Geoff Wightman said: "We invited them, so it's our duty to report it to the authorities."

Dagmawit Amare, part of the Ethiopian management in Scotland, who has completed a four week placement at Scottish Athletics, said: "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 missing athletes are said to be women's Betelhem Shewatatek and Feleke Bekele, a female 200 metres and 400m hurdler respectively, and Hagos Tadesse and Tirehas Haileselassie, who compete in the 400m and 400m hurdles.

Scotland will compete against England, Ethiopia, Ireland and a Bank of Scotland Development Team in the event tomorrow.

Ross Cunningham, the meeting manager, said: "It blows a hole in the Ethiopian team's prospects and it represents our worst scenario in inviting them.

"We will see how Scotland does against England and Ireland and support those Ethiopians who have made the trip and their anticipated 100 supporters from Manchester and Glasgow."