Tony Blair today described the photographs allegedly showing British troops abusing Iraqi civilians as "shocking and appalling" .

The Prime Minister expressed his disgust at the images of sexual and physical humiliation, which were yesterday presented as evidence at a court martial against three soldiers.

But he told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that the images must not be allowed to tarnish the army's reputation. The vast majority of the 65,000 British troops who had served in Iraq had done so with "distinction, courage and great honour to this country", he said.

The 22 photographs, taken in May 2003, include naked Iraqi prisoners simulating sex acts, British soldiers pretending to punch and kick bound men and a prisoner tied to the raised forks of a forklift truck.

During Prime Minister's question time today Mr Blair told the House of Commons: "We do not tolerate these activities in any way, shape or form at all.

"I think everyone finds those photographs shocking and appalling - there are simply no other words to describe them.

"The difference between democracy and tyranny is not that in a democracy bad things don’t happen. It is that in a democracy when they do happen, people are held to account. That is what is happening under our judicial system.

"The vast majority of those 65,000 British soldiers who have served in Iraq have done so with distinction, with courage and with great honour to this country.

"So whilst we express in a unified way, I know, our disgust at those pictures, I hope we do not allow that to tarnish the good name, fully deserved, of the British Armed Forces

"The Iraqis I have personally spoken to have paid tribute to the work of the British forces have been doing.

"The vast majority of them want to participate in the forthcoming elections and they are only able to do that in part because of the courage of British soldiers remaining in Iraq."

Tory leader Michael Howard also branded the photographs "appalling" but agreed they did not reflect the true character of the majority of the British armed forces.

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