Work has been abandoned on a new residence for Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, who was reported to have been evacuated from Tripoli before an international bombing campaign was launched.

A heavy police presence was deployed in the Damascus district of Tripoli, the upmarket suburb where Mr Megrahi lives, after an overnight bombing raid destroyed the city’s air defences.

Col Muammar Gaddafi’s regime is in lockdown as a result of the UN-backed attacks and key figures have been evacuated from the city for their own safety. . .