The United Nations has decided two Libyans suspected of the Lockerbie bombing nine years ago would get a fair trial by jury in Scotland.

Confirmation of the UN legal experts' opinion, which comes after a fact-finding visit to Scotland earlier this month, was made by the Crown Office in Edinburgh.

Duncan Kirkhope reports from Glasgow (Dur: 45")

A spokesman said: "The Crown Office welcomes the report of the UN legal experts who, contrary to speculative and ill-informed reports, have concluded that the accused would receive a fair trial under the Scottish judicial system.

"Libya should stop prevaricating"

"We are particularly pleased to hear they concluded that a trial by jury would not prejudice the accused's right to a free trial.

"Libya should now stop prevaricating and secure the appearance of the accused for trial."

Pan Am flight 103 was blown up over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie nine years ago, killing all 259 on board and 11 people on the ground.

There are conflicting theories as to who was responsible and what their motives were.

Colonel Gadaffi ... reluctant to hand over suspects

Investigators from Britain and the US have pointed the finger at Libya and Colonel Muammar Gaddafi but some terrorism experts claim Syria or Iran were responsible. There has been speculation the attack was an act of revenge for the shooting down of an Iranian airliner by the US warship, the Vincennes.

Col Gaddafi has always refused to hand over two Libyan agents suspected of the bombing, claiming they would not receive a fair trial in Britain or America.

Relatives of the Lockerbie victims urged the British Government at the weekend to bend the rules to allow the pair - Abdel Basset Ali al Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah - to be tried in a neutral country under Scottish legal procedures.

Jim Swire, spokesman for families of the victims, believes Libya is not responsible

But a spokesman for the families of the victims, Dr Jim Swire, said the UN report would make no difference to the efforts to bring the two men to trial.

He said it was now up to the UN and the Government to take action.

Dr Swire blamed the attack on Iran and added that the West may be covering up Tehran's involvement for political reasons.

The UN Security Council imposed aviation, arms and diplomatic sanctions on Libya in 1992 for refusing to hand over Mr Megrahi and Mr Fhimah but Arab and African nations have urged the council to accept Col Gadaffi's offer to turn them over to a third country.

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