Britain and America plan to give Saddam Hussein just 48 hours to flee Baghdad if UN weapons inspectors report this week that the Iraqi dictator is still refusing to disarm fully, The Sunday Telegraph reported on Sunday.

This proposal will form part of the second resolution, which could be put before the Security Council by next weekend. The deadline would be just long enough for Arab neighbours to make a last effort to persuade Saddam to leave the country or for a coup to take place, the newspaper stated quoting US officials.

According to the paper, British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has launched a serious attack on critics of the government's hawkish stance over Iraq, warning Britain would not 'sit idly by until hundreds or thousands are killed'.

Hoon warned it would be an abdication of responsibility 'on a massive scale' to do nothing about Saddam's development of weapons of mass destruction.

"There are those who will never be convinced until that missile with its weapons of mass destruction warhead is fired, or until terrorists are aided in carrying out a WMD attack on one of our cities," Hoon said in a message to British service people.

"By then it will be too late. The government is not prepared to sit idly by until hundreds or thousands are killed before acting, and those who argue otherwise should look long and hard at themselves too."