British journalist Bel Trew expelled from Egypt and declared persona non-grata ahead of elections

A British journalist based in Egypt has been expelled from the country as authorities tighten control over the media ahead of upcoming presidential elections.

Bel Trew, The Times' Cairo correspondent, was arrested in February after doing an interview and then faced "sufficiently outlandish" threats.

After her release she was escorted to an airport and forced to board a plane to the UK.

Trew, who has worked in Egypt for seven years, has now been declared a persona non-grata and threatened with rearrest if she returns to Cairo.

On Saturday, Trew tweeted: "I've lived in Egypt for seven years, it's my beloved home and I'm not sure when I can return.

"I was arrested after doing an interview and threatened with military trial unless I got on a plane.

"Like others, I still don't know what happened."

The Times said that attempts to bring about Trew's safe return to Cairo to cover the elections were made but to no avail.

Egypt has detained, jailed and prosecuted journalists under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the military's 2013 overthrow of an elected Islamist president.

The country ranks near the bottom of press freedom indexes.