Forces chief wants Nato to widen attacks

General Sir David Richards is said to believe Muammar Gaddafi may manage to cling to power unless attacks are carried out against the infrastructure propping up his regime.

General Richards' demands would be controversial with some members of the Arab League. Russia and China have claimed the weeks of bombing by the Western coalition breaches the terms of the resolution backing a "no-fly zone".

"The vice is closing on Gaddafi, but we need to increase the pressure further through more intense military action," General Richards said. "We now have to tighten the vice to demonstrate to Gaddafi that the game is up and he must go."

"At present, Nato is not attacking infrastructure targets in Libya. But if we want to increase the pressure on Gaddafi's regime then we need to give serious consideration to increasing the range of targets we can hit."