Hairdresser Willie Hendry is today under 24-hour armed guard amid the blood-soaked streets of Nigeria after the Miss World contest sparked riots.

At least 105 people have been killed in disorder stoked by outrage over next month's controversial beauty pageant. Hundreds more were injured by mobs who stabbed and set fire to bystanders.

Mr Hendry, from Brighton, became caught up in the turmoil after going to Nigeria as chief hairstylist for the competition.

Speaking on his mobile phone as he was moved between venues by the Nigerian army, he said: "We're all very worried. You never know where the violence is going to strike next.

"We are under 24-hour guard and are being escorted everywhere by the army. We know there has been an explosion at Lagos airport and we keep hearing of other incidents in different cities.

"At this stage, we haven't seen anything first-hand but if the trouble escalates, we will be looking to get out of here."

Mr Hendry, celebrity stylist and co-owner of the Ash salon in Brighton, left for Nigeria with colleague Douglas Hobbs two weeks ago to organise 20 stylists and get to know the contestants and their hairdressing needs.

Yesterday he was in the southern city of Port Harcourt for a satellite competition. He is due back in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, before the competition on December 7.

He said: "We would like to finish the job but if the violence gets out of hand, we'll have to leave."

Hundreds of people have been injured in riots in the northern city of Kaduna, where enraged youths have torched churches and mosques, looted shops and overturned cars. The unrest quickly turned into a general protest against the Miss World contest.

The Kaduna violence then triggered tension in other predominantly Islamic parts of Nigeria. The unrest was sparked by a newspaper article claiming Islam's founding Prophet Muhammad would have married one of the Miss World beauty queens.

Before he left for Nigeria, Mr Hendry said: "The contest is a way of bringing the world together a bit and that has to be a good thing."

The Miss World contest, which Nigerian officials hope will showcase the country and add to its tourist appeal, initially ran into trouble amid worldwide publicity over Amina Lawal, a 31-year-old woman who was sentenced to death by stoning under Islamic law, for bearing a child out of wedlock.

Following assurances by the government that no one would be stoned, 90 contestants arrived in Nigeria last week, with many voicing support for Ms Lawal and other women sentenced to death by courts enforcing Islamic sharia law.