Denial on 'US talks to ban Britons'

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President George Bush's administration is looking at ways of stopping those citizens from gaining access to the US through the visa waiver system, following the recent number of bomb plots in the UK, the New York Times reported.

Earlier this week five men, some with connections to Pakistan, were convicted for their part in a fertiliser terror plot which would have created a bombing campaign to rival the September 11 terror attacks.

Home Secretary John Reid met Michael Chertoff, the US homeland security secretary, last month when, it is claimed, the issue of restricting entry for certain Britons was discussed.

Both the British and US governments have denied the issue was mentioned at the meeting.

But the New York Times said there had been discussions between the two governments about entry restrictions.

It stated: "Among the options that have been put on the table, according to British officials, was the most onerous option to Britain, that of cancelling the entire visa waiver programme that allows all Britons entry to the United States without a visa.

"Another option, politically fraught as it is, would be to single out Britons of Pakistani origin, requiring them to make visa applications for the United States."

A Home Office spokesman said the issue of restricting access entirely to certain Britons was not discussed at the meeting between the Home Secretary and Mr Chertoff on April 6.

He added "The suggestion that particular groups of British citizens of any particular background should be singled out was not made at the meeting and neither would it have been acceptable."