The defence ministry said it had "absolutely no comment" to make on a report in The Times that the unnamed brigadier-general would be given a new identity and a secret refuge in return for his help.

The paper described him as the most senior Iraqi officer in the south of the country and said he was being held separately from Iraqi prisoners of war after his defection in Basra.

It said that the Sandhurst-trained officer, who speaks good English, had insisted before talking that British forces rescue his family, who were in hiding in Basra. Special forces were believed to have picked them up more than a week ago, The Times said.

"Sometimes you have to do things in war you don't want to do, but they are for the greater good. What he has told us already has been greatly helpful to our forces," an unnamed British source told the newspaper.

"We would have absolutely no comment to make on the veracity of this story," a defence ministry spokesman said.

Downing Street also declined to comment.

SPACE.WIRE