The British Government will make a formal complaint to the United States over its use of a British airport for transiting bombs to Israel, the Foreign Secretary said today.

Margaret Beckett said that it appeared the United States did not follow correct procedures when transporting arms to Israel via Britain.

"I have already notified the United States that we are not happy about it," Beckett told reporters after a meeting of foreign ministers on the Lebanon crisis in Rome.

"We have already let the United States know that this is an issue that appears to be seriously at fault, and we will be making a formal protest if it appears that that is what has happened."

Two chartered Airbus A310 cargo planes filled with GBU 28 laser-guided bombs landed at Prestwick airport, near Glasgow, for refuelling and crew rests after flying across the Atlantic at the weekend, defence sources told The Daily Telegraph.

Mrs Beckett indicated that her complaint was of a procedural nature. "It appears that in so far as there are procedures for handling that kind of hazardous cargo, irrespective of what they are, it does appear that they were not followed," she said.

Some opposition politicians have called on the Government to suspend arms shipments to Israel because of what they see as its disproportionate use of force in the Lebanon conflict.

Britain has been used as a staging post for major shipments of bunker-busting bombs from America to Israel. The Israelis want the 5,000lb smart bombs to attack the bunkers being used by Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon. The Government's agreement to the bomb flights was criticised last night by the Liberal Democrats.

"In light of disproportionate military attacks, the Government should take steps to suspend all arms transfers to Israel, whether directly from or through the UK," said Michael Moore, the party's Foreign Affairs Spokesman.

President Bush appeared uncomfortable today when he was asked if he regarded the simultaneous American provision of military support and humanitarian aid to Israel as contradictory. He said that America was honouring commitments to Israel made before the current crisis flared up. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are looking at our approach to these flights."

It has been reported that efforts to crush Hezbollah have been hindered by a lack of bombs capable of penetrating their command bunkers.

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