‘A senior member of the UK Parliament has called on the government to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria and allow British fighter jets attack Russian warplanes that breach it.

Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s former international development secretary, told BBC that if shooting down Russian jets ends the conflict in Syria, then that is what Britain and its allies should focus on.

“What we are saying is very clear. No one wants to see a firefight with Russia, no one wants to shoot down a Russian plane,” Mitchell said. “But what we do say is that the international community has an avowed responsibility to protect and that protection must be exerted.’

Read more: Tory MP calls for shooting down of Russian jets over Syria