In a Commons' debate on Monday, Mr Bell told the Government that air strikes alone would not stop President Milosevic's murderous regime.

"Circumstances on the ground can only be altered by boots on the ground," he said.

In the second full Commons debate since the start of bombing on March 24, Mr Bell said the Government had to take the risk of committing soldiers to fight the Serbs.

The former BBC war correspondent also warned foreign minister Robin Cook about the problems of bombing military without hitting civilian targets. "One of the many arguments for the use of ground troops is that they can distinguish between a tractor and a tank," he said.

Mr Bell now believes Britain has a moral obligation to enter Kosovo to stop the killings.

"Genocide requires not only the brutality and hatred that make it happen but the indifference that lets it happen," he said.

"Let not that indifference be ours."

In the debate the veteran reporter of 13 conflicts, including Vietnam and Bosnia, also criticised Government allegations of bias towards the Serbs by the BBC's John Simpson.

"They are having enough trouble being vilified and abused on the streets without facing sniper fire from Downing Street," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.