LABOUR Euro MP for Greater Manchester West, Gary Titley, stormed out of Kosovo crisis talks because a Yugoslav diplomat was present.

The emergency meeting of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee in Brussels was called to discuss the ongoing crisis in Kosovo, where thousands of ethnic Albanians have become refugees following Serb military action against them.

Mr Titley, chief socialist Foreign Affairs spokesman, was appalled by the decision of the committee chairman, Tory MEP Tom Spencer, to invite the Yugoslav Charge d'Affairs to speak at the meeting.

Mr Titley said: "We should not be in the same room as an apologist for the Milosevic regime, which is guilty of genocide against the Kosovo Albanians.

"At a time when Nato service personnel are risking their lives to try and bring peace to Kosovo, Spencer is giving succour to the Serb butchers. That is nothing short of scandalous."

And he told the chairman: "By inviting this man along, you are giving credence to a bunch of murderers."

Mr Titley has since called on Tory leader William Hague to condemn Tom Spencer's actions.

The only support for the chairman, Tom Spencer, came from some German and French Green Party MEPs and Greek Communists.

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