Campaigners have urged the government to tighten controls on the arms trade.

A coalition of pressure groups warned on Thursday that the global arms trade is dangerously unregulated.

Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms claimed in a new report that it is too easy for weapons to reach repressive governments, human rights abusers and criminals.

The group warned Britain's current arms export controls are "riddled with loopholes" that do not cover agreements signed abroad.

They warned that the government's focus on finding weapons of mass destruction meant the real dangers of small arms proliferation was being ignored particularly in countries with poor human rights records.

"Each year hundreds of thousands of people are unlawfully killed, tortured, raped and displaced through the misuse of arms," said Irene Khan, Amnesty's secretary general.

"With the 'war on terror' dominating the international agenda, there should be renewed interest in arms control. Yet the reverse has occurred. The vicious circle of arms transfers, conflict and abuse can and must be stopped."