Japan earthquake: UK rescue team 'foiled by red tape'Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12756366UK rescue workers say they had to leave quake-hit Japan because they could not secure the necessary paperwork from the British embassy in Tokyo.The International Rescue Corps said they were not given permission to work in Japan because it would have made the embassy legally responsible for them.
The Foreign Office said it was "not true" it was thwarted by red tape.
It said it had sent a letter of support to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs early on Wednesday morning.
A spokesman for the IRC said it was "gut-wrenching" to be stopped from helping by "your own country".
A 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami struck north-east Japan on Friday, killing thousands and leaving more than 400,000 people homeless. Many survivors are facing power, fuel and food shortages, amid freezing temperatures and aftershocks.
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