Prime minister Gordon Brown told parliament on Tuesday that the decision to suspend flights between Yemen and the UK had been taken to “protect British lives at home and abroad”.

"We have agreed with Yemenia airlines - pending enhanced security -- that they suspend their direct flights to the UK from Yemen with immediate effect," he said.

Brown said new intelligence suggested that militant cells in Yemen were actively planning attacks.

Britain will also introduce body scanners and enhanced screening at major airports from next week. Current watch-lists are to be extended to include a no-fly list for the first time.

The announcement comes as the Yemeni government steps up its efforts to fight al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists after the failed attack on a US airliner headed for Detroit on December 25.

The Nigerian believed to be behind the failed attempt to blow up the plane, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was on a UK watch-list, but did not appear on a no-fly list which would have prevented him from boarding the plane.

ng/Reuters/dpa

Editor: Susan Houlton