As tourists flock to Gambia, population suffers under a paranoid police state

Behind a row of luxurious resorts overlooking sparkling blue seas in The Gambia's capital, Banjul, lie more meagre lodgings, nicknamed Mile 2 Hotel.

A stone's throw from the white sands that make this country in West Africa the region's biggest package holiday destination, the mosquito-infested Mile 2 central prison houses Gambians jailed for offences including distributing T-shirts without official permission.

Tens of thousands of winter sun-seekers flock to mainland Africa's smallest country each year, drawn by its stunning beaches, bird-watching and haunting kora music.

As the Arab spring pushes holidaymakers out of the former North African hotspots - Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia - Gambian tour operators say bookings have increased.

But beneath the gloss of the package holidays is the acute paranoia of one of Africa's worst police states.