Indonesian television shows a casualty of the Jakarta bombings being put on a stretcher AFP

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NINE people have been killed and at least 50 injured in explosions in two hotels in Jakarta where the Manchester United team were to stay.

United have cancelled their upcoming tour of Indonesia in response to the bombings, which manager Sir Alex Ferguson described as “terrible news”.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We've got no indication that there are any Britons involved. We've got staff still checking and we're seeking access to the scene and going to the hospitals to check."

One of the attacks was on the Ritz-Carlton hotel, where United had planned to stay for four nights from Saturday.

The explosions blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.

South Jakarta police colonel Firman Bundi earlier said that four of the dead were foreigners.

At the Metropolitan Medical Centre, a list was posted with the names of people wounded. An official at the registration office said 11 were foreigners.

Witnesses at the scene told Indonesian Metro TV that the injured were seen being taken away in ambulances.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning in Kuala Lumpur, Ferguson said: "We got the news as we landed and it is very disappointing. I have never been to Indonesia before and I know the Indonesian FA have worked very hard on this.

"It is terrible news but we have taken what I believe to be the right decision"

"It is terrible news but we have taken what I believe to be the right decision in terms of safeguarding our players."

United's chief executive David Gill said they had met British High Commission officials before deciding to cancel the trip.

Gill was asked if advice about potential dangers was given to the club prior to the start of the pre-season trip to the Far East.

"We were aware of the situation but we spoke to the right people and received the correct advice," he said.

The English champions were to play an Indonesia Super League XI in Jakarta in a pre-season friendly on Monday.

Although there have been no terrorist problems in the country for a number of years and presidential elections passed off peacefully recently, the Marriott Hotel was badly damaged by a car bomb attack in 2003 that killed 12 people.

That coincided with a period during which the Islamist militants from the Jemaah Islamiyah organisation were blamed for numerous attacks, including the bombings on the island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people. Many militants have since been arrested.