Cameron and Sarkozy fly to Libya to meet new leaders

David Cameron is to make a flying visit to Libya today with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, it was reported last night.

The two men are expected to tour a hospital in Tripoli before meeting the leaders of the National Transitional Council, which has ousted Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. They are then due to fly on to Libya's second city, Benghazi, the centre of the uprising.

Details of the visit were disclosed by the French newspaper Le Figaro. There was no immediate confirmation from Downing Street.

The two men championed the Nato-led military action to defend civilians threatened by Gaddafi's forces and won United Nations support for the intervention.

They will become the first foreign leaders to go to Libya since the opposition forces seized Tripoli. With the remnants of forces loyal to Gaddafi holding out in three towns, their visit will be conducted amid the tightest security.

Le Figaro reported that Mr Sarkozy will be accompanied by the philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, who was outspoken in his calls for action to avoid "a bloodbath in Benghazi".

There was no information last night on who would be at Mr Cameron's side during the visit.