Britons killed in blast

Two British men were killed in Baghdad today when their armoured car was blown apart by a huge roadside bomb.

They were among four people killed in the vehicle right outside the coalition's headquarters in the heavily-protected Green Zone area of the city.

The force of the blast threw the armour-plated Toyota Land Cruiser into the air before it burst into flames, leaving a pile of twisted metal. US troops joined Iraqi police in trying to douse the blaze.

The Britons are believed to be private bodyguards escorting an American coalition official back from a visit to Iraq's oil ministry nearby.

The attack comes days after a senior oil company executive was urged to get out of the country amid fears that oilmen are being targeted. Iraqi officials are privately admitting that the country is becoming too dangerous for foreign businessmen.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said this afternoon: "These deaths are shocking and they show the risks which civilians have to take in order to assist the Iraqis in the necessary task of rebuilding and reconstructing their country." Twelve British