Oz opposition party demands more security advice for athletes at Delhi Games

Australia's opposition party has asked the Julia Gillard Government to give athletes participating in the 2010 Commonwealth Games more advice on the security situation in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Gillard has recommended athletes competing at the Games to read the Australian Government's website www.smartraveller.gov.au.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said on Sunday that the government could make their decision easier by providing more detailed advice though.

"No government can give a guarantee as to the security arrangements but they're on the ground, they have access to a whole range of security information the athletes possibly cannot access. So I believe the government should give more guidance," she said.

Bishop told ABC TV it was important to support India's staging of the Games, which have been marred by problems.

The call to provide more security advise comes after Australian authorities received intelligence about a plan by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists to take foreign hostages during the Delhi Commonwealth Games, The Herald Sun reports

Fear of angering the Indian Government has deterred the Australian authorities to issue an upgraded travel warning for Delhi.

And security experts warned Australians travelling to India not to wear Aussie colours or T-shirts.

They said citizens of Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand could be targets of a snatch attempt because their countries supported the war in Afghanistan.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade refused to confirm the intelligence reports.