Prime Minister Tony Blair has made a secret plea to George Bush to return the four British detainees being held at Guantanamo.

The Guardian has seen court papers revealing the prime minister's direct plea to Mr Bush. They form the government's formal defence to a legal action brought by lawyers for two of the remaining prisoners seeking a court order compelling Britain to formally demand their return. The government's defence states: "The United Kingdom government is continuing to seek the return of the four remaining prisoners and the prime minister has made a di rect request to President Bush to that effect".

In no uncertain terms, Britain has criticized the plans for military tribunals:

Last night the attorney-general Lord Goldsmith said the military tribunals planned by the US at Guantánamo Bay broke international standards. In a speech made after months of talks with US officials, Lord Goldsmith said the right to a fair trial was inviolable. "We in the UK have been unable to accept that the US military tribunals proposed for those detained at Guantánamo Bay offer sufficient guarantees of a fair trial in accor dance with international standards," he said.