The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband has rejected as "a slur on myself and on the government" the contention that Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing had been released to smooth relations between the UK and Libya.

Speaking on the Today programme, Mr Miliband said that the sight of Megrahi, "getting a hero's welcome in Tripoli is deeply upsetting".

Mr Miliband added that, though he personally found the release "deeply distressing", the UK government would not interfere in the decision to release Megrahi, who has terminal cancer, on compassionate grounds.

But he refused to comment on whether the release was right, saying that the UK government had not put any pressure on the Scottish authorities.