Chemical weapon 'used in Syria'

Nerve agent Sarin appears to have been used in the bloody two-year civil war in Syria, David Cameron has said.

There is a "growing body of limited but persuasive information" showing that Bashar Assad's brutal regime has used chemical weapons, he said.

Mr Cameron told MPs he will fly to Russia for talks with president Vladimir Putin on Friday and warned that a proper negotiation to "force a political transition" was urgent.

He told MPs: "I've tasked the chairman of the joint intelligence committee to give the national security council constantly-updated assessments of the information we and allies have.

"I can tell the House that there is a growing body of limited but persuasive information showing that the regime has used and continues to use chemical weapons, including Sarin. The room for doubt about this continues to diminish. We will continue to take action on every front, working with our allies, backing the Opposition, pushing for a political solution."

Earlier, Mr Cameron was briefed by US secretary of state John Kerry on plans to convene an international conference on Syria later this month.

The two men talked by phone following Mr Kerry's departure from Moscow, where he has been holding talks with President Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Foreign Secretary William Hague had spoken to Mr Kerry earlier as he travelled to Moscow for the discussions.

Mr Cameron's official spokesman told a daily Westminster press briefing: "Mr Kerry briefed the Prime Minister on his discussions with the Russian government and the Prime Minister very much welcomed the developments in Moscow as a positive step forward."

More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict since March 2011, according to the United Nations.

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