British Foreign Secretary William Hague yesterday called for a strong response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, saying the issue went wider than the conflict in the Middle Eastern country.

Hague said that although the British parliament had rejected joining military action against Syria, he backed anticipated US-led air strikes.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was due to arrive in London yesterday for talks with Hague as part of a swing through European capitals to drum up support for action on Syria.

"I do believe very strongly that the world must stand up against the use of chemical weapons. The risks of not doing so in my view are greater than the risks of doing so," Hague told BBC television. He added: "This issue is about chemical weapons, which is a bigger issue than Syria."