Travellers are ignoring environmentalists' pleas to fly less and are taking longer flights for shorter holidays.

Last year, 3.7 million Britons spent less than a week in a far-flung destination after travelling thousands of miles by air.

A survey, by travel insurer Halifax, predicts these 'breakneck breaks' will increase by more than a third this year.

New York, Hong Kong and Rio are all high on travellers' wish lists and with the 'open skies' deal coming into force at the end of March, the trend is set to continue.

A small explosion in New York City's Times Square has been reported.

Police cordoned off a section of the square early on Thursday morning following the blast at a military recruitment office.

A second, unexploded device was also reportedly found.

All streets between 46th and 42nd and Sixth and Eighth Avenues were closed, as were all subways.

No deaths have been reported but a police officer is thought to have received minor burns.