Former British prime minister Tony Blair has acknowledged that he ignored the warning of his then-Attorney General that attacking Iraq was illegal without United Nations approval.

Mr Blair, who was summoned on Friday for a second time by the official inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war, said he believed the warning was provisional.

During a four hour appearance, he said he thought the Attorney General would change his mind on whether a second UN resolution was necessary when he knew the full details of negotiations that had been taking place.

Mr Blair said he regrets deeply and profoundly the loss of life during and after the 2003 Iraq war.

The ex-PM said his refusal to express regret for the decisions that led to war at his first appearance before the committee had been misinterpreted.

But his words were met with cries of too late from the public gallery. The BBC reports Committee chairman Sir John Chilcot had to tell the public gallery to be quiet.

Blair acknowledges that warning ignored

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Downing Street ordered a cover-up after Jack Straw made an 11th-hour attempt to stop Tony Blair going to war in Iraq, it was claimed last night.

Explosive anonymous evidence given to the Chilcot Inquiry said Mr Blair responded to his Foreign Secretary by insisting that he wanted to go to war.

Officials at Number 10 then allegedly ordered that no record was kept of the confrontation.

The revelation will pile pressure on the former Prime Minister when he returns to give evidence to the inquiry today.

Mr Blair will be concerned about the aggressive way Sir John Chilcot's team have published damaging evidence against him in the week before his appearance, which is expected to attract anti-war protesters and security costs of more than £250,000.

Sir John gave anonymity to the witness - who may be a civil servant or a member of Mr Blair's inner circle - so he could reveal details of the alleged controversial showdown with Mr Straw.

At the meeting on March 12, 2003, the source claimed Mr Straw made the point that 'this was the final opportunity to decide on a different track - advising the prime minister that he still had a chance to avoid it if he wanted to'. The source said Mr Straw told Mr Blair: 'If you want to avoid your own resignation, Prime Minister, you still have an opportunity and here it is.'

Downing Street ordered a 'Cover up' over Straw's bid to talk Blair out of Iraq invasion