Angry demonstrators have attacked the British and Italian embassies in the Libyan capital. The vandalism came on Sunday hours after Moammar Gaddafi escaped a NATO missile strike.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the British embassy buildings had been almost completely burnt down. Britain responded to the attack on its embassy complex by announcing it was expelling the Libyan ambassador to London.

The Italian Foreign Ministry said its embassy and several others in Tripoli were damaged by vandals and accused the Gadhafi regime of failing to protect foreign missions. Italy withdrew its diplomats weeks ago.