The Prime Minister has denied "double dealing" over the Lockerbie bomber's release.

Gordon Brown has insisted the final decision to free Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was taken by the Scottish Government and that UK Ministers did not attempt to influence it. His comments come as the Scottish Government faces a likely defeat in a Holyrood debate over the case.

The Prime Minister insisted there was no deal behind the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

He said: "On our part there was no conspiracy, no cover up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gadaffi

"We were absolutely clear throughout with the Libyans and everyone else that this was a decision for the Scottish Government."

Watch the Prime Minister's statement in video here>

It comes after the publication of a document on Tuesday, in which Libya's Europe minister Abdulati Alobidi revealed that in February former Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell told him that Gordon Brown did not want Megrahi to die in prison.

UK Conservative leader David Cameron wants a full inquiry. He said: "On the one hand, Gordon Brown has completely refused to give his opinion on the release of this mass murderer, but on the other hand was content for the Libyans to be told that he should not die in prison.

"That is double dealing."

The statement from the Prime Minister came while the Scottish Parliament debated the issue. See our report on the debate here>