Charles Kennedy has said that he will offer his support to British troops if they go into action against Iraq, despite his party's scepticism of the need for war.

Addressing his party's Spring conference in Torquay, the Liberal Democrat leader told party members that the case for war was yet to be convincingly made.

But he said that despite this the Lib Dems would rally behind British troops when the "first shot is fired".

Opening an emergency debate on the Iraq crisis as war seems increasingly likely, Kennedy repeated his call for the United Nations weapons inspectors to be given more time to complete their task.

"Our country as part of a unanimous decision at the United Nations decided to go down the route of weapons inspectorate as a means of trying to disarm Iraq on a peaceful basis.

"Last week Dr Blix, acting with the full authority, the unanimous authority of that international community of which we are a member and to which we subscribed, came back and reported progress and said that he needed more time.

"For precipitate action to be taken, not least in the absence of a second United Nations resolution, contradicts what we subscribed to before the end of last year and undermines the authority and legitimacy of the United Nations itself," he warned.

The stance was backed by Lib Dem members, who accepted that voicing hostility to war when British troops are putting their lives on the line is not a course of action open to the party.

"If we find under whatever circumstances that they are committed in the name of this country to take action they will have our unequivocal moral support," Kennedy said.

Ahead of the conference, Kennedy rejected accusations that the party was trying to have it both ways by being anti-war but backing British troops.

"There is nothing opportunistic about our stance whatsoever," he told Sky News.

"We have backed as a party military action on several occasions in the past," Kennedy added, pointing to the last Gulf war and the conflict in Afghanistan.

The weapons inspectors should complete their work. "That is why we are saying at this stage you should not rush in to a war if it can be avoided," he said.