Britain has called on the Zimbabwe government to halt its campaign of intimidation and to co-operate with a Commonwealth investigation team.

At a meeting of the Commonwealth ministerial action group in London on Tuesday it was decided by foreign ministers from the Commonwealth to send a three-minister team to Zimbabwe to investigate the current crisis and hold talks with government officials. The three will be the foreign ministers from Australia, Barbados and Nigeria. The Zimbabwe government has already said it will not assist with the delegation.

The ministers issued a statement expressing fears over a number of issues in the run-up to Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections, particularly recent reports of intimidation of the judiciary and the media.

Robin Cook welcomed the Commonwealth statement and gave his assessment of the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. "There is a lot to be concerned about with the present situation in Zimbabwe. It is deplorable and I feel deeply for the people of Zimbabwe who are currently experiencing a very major assault on their democratic rights. Forty people have been killed since the last election due to intimidation and a senior judge has been forced out by threats to his life."

The foreign secretary said: "I do not think the government of Zimbabwe should understate the gravity of the position they're putting themselves in. Yesterday every Commonwealth minister at that meeting had concerns and supported the statement expressing our concern about the situation in Zimbabwe. If Zimbabwe now refuses the offer of dialogue so that we can express those concerns and so we can hear what Zimbabwe has to say for itself then it is putting itself in to a very serious position in the Commonwealth."