Relations between Zimbabwe and the West hit a new low yesterday after a convoy of British and American diplomats on their way to meet opposition activists was attacked by President Mugabe’s militiamen and police.

Five American and four British diplomats were detained for several hours after the confrontation at a police roadblock, during which officers slashed their tyres, seized their mobile phones and beat up a driver employed by the US Embassy.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, described it as a serious incident. He said that it served as a window into the lives of Zimbabweans for whom “this kind of intimidation happens daily”.

James McGee, the US Ambassador, who was not present at the incident, said: “The ‘war veterans’ threatened to burn the vehicles with my people inside unless they got out and accompanied the police to a station nearby.”

He accused Mr Mugabe and his military backers of engineering the confrontation, saying that the campaign of intimidation against diplomats “is coming directly from the top”.

Washington said that the incident was “absolutely outrageous” and that it planned to raise the issue with Zimbabwe at the United Nations Security Council yesterday.

The British Ambassador, Andrew Pocock, said that the four British diplomats travelling with the Americans “were not threatened, except by being stopped and illegally detained”. He added: “It was a breach of international law, and the second time they’ve done it.”

The diplomats had been travelling to the Mugabe stronghold of Bindura to investigate allegations of violence against members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. After they were stopped at the roadblock, armed soldiers and ‘war veterans’ arrived and harangued the Americans for “trying to effect regime change in Zimbabwe”, a diplomatic source said.

“After they slapped the driver around, they threatened to beat up the diplomats,” he added. The American vehicle’s path was blocked by road spikes and its tyres were slashed.

Dr Pocock said: “Everybody was fully credentialled. It was harassment.” Wayne Bvudzijena, a police spokesman, said that the police “rescued them from a mob”.

Amid signs that Mugabe regime is broadening its campaign of intimidation before the elections at the end of this month, the Government last night ordered all aid agencies and charities to “cease all field operations forthwith”. Aid agency officials said that the unprecedented ban would have a “massive effect” on an enormous range of services provided by thousands of private organisations, from famine relief to the delivery of anti-retroviral drugs to Aids sufferers.

The orders were given in a letter signed by Nicholas Goche, the Social Welfare Minister, stating that the action was being taken because non-governmental organisations “have not followed conditions” laid down in laws governing the conduct of aid agencies.

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