The British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious has set sail for the Gulf amid increased tension over the role of United Nations arms inspectors deployed in Iraq.

The 22,000-ton ship will take over from HMS Invincible, which has been forced to extend its tour of duty because of the crisis.

The Illustrious will be joined next week by the first of up to 22 RAF and Royal Navy Harrier bombers.

HMS Invincible was sent to the Gulf last week when the 16-member UN weapons inspection team left Baghdad after being stopped for two days from working when the Iraqi official escort failed to turn up.

Sea King helicopters join HMS Illustrious

Defence Secretary George Robertson said Invincible was being ordered into the region as a "sensible precaution" and an indication that Britain was ready to use force if diplomacy failed to persuade Sadam Hussein to stop obstructing UN arms inspections.

Invincible had been on standby in the Mediterranean since mid-November after the last stand-off between Saddam Hussein and UN weapons inspectors.

If the current alert status is maintained, Britain will have two carriers in the Gulf during the handover period.

The aircraft carrier, accompanied by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria, joins a formidable military force in the Gulf:

• Two US aircraft carriers, USS Nimitz and USS George Washington
• Both carriers have 77 aircraft
• A US nuclear-powered attack submarine, USS Olympia
• US U-2 spy planes patrol Iraqi air space to monitor any movement of troops or weapons by the Iraqi military

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