The failure of European foreign ministers to reach a deal on extending a travel ban on Robert Mugabe has prompted condemnation from the Conservatives.

A meeting of senior ministers from the EU's 15 member states failed on Monday to reach agreement on renewing the targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Britain had pressed for the sanctions to be renewed, but objections from France meant that no deal was reached.

The Paris government is demanding that Mugabe be allowed to attend a summit it is hosting on February 19, timed for the day after the current travel bans expire.

The matter will now be passed over to EU ambassadors, who will discuss it in a meeting later this week.

"By deferring the decision on the extension of sanctions, there is now the danger that EU has opened the backdoor to a visit by Mugabe to Paris," said Michael Ancram.

The shadow foreign secretary said the Zimbabwean leader could be allowed to "waltz around Europe unfettered and untouched".

"The British government must not let this happen. The EU Ambassador's meeting...does not have the power to extend sanctions; only a Council of Ministers meeting can do this.

"I am now calling on the government to table an urgent amendment adding Zimbabwe to the next Education Council meeting on the February 6."

And Ancram said he was watching the saga develop "with growing gloom".

"This sorry episode has done more damage to the EU than Mugabe," he said.

"Not only does it make a mockery of the idea of a common European foreign policy but this saga has demonstrated just how little influence the prime minister really wields in Europe."