Libya's Muammar Gaddafi has suffered another blow, after his foreign minister flew into Britain telling officials he no longer wanted to represent the Tripoli regime.
Moussa Koussa arrived at Farnborough Airfield, west of London, on Wednesday, a Foreign Office statement said.
"He travelled here under his own free will. He has told us that he is resigning his post," it added.
"Moussa Koussa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally, something that he is no longer willing to do," the British statement continued.
"We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace a better future for Libya that allows political transition and real reform that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people," it concluded.
Koussa arrived after a two-day stay in Tunisia, which Tripoli had officially described as a "private visit." He entered Tunisia on Monday via the Ras Jdir overland border crossing.
Then, when he was reported to be on his way to London, Tripoli said he was on a "diplomatic mission".
His departure is just the latest blow to Gaddafi's regime.
Several senior members of Gaddafi's entourage, including ministers and senior military officers, have defected since the uprising against his 42-year-rule began more than a month ago.
Gaddafi's right-hand man
Washington quickly hailed Kussa's departure as a major blow to the Gaddafi regime.
"This is a very significant defection and an indication that people around Gaddafi think the writing's on the wall," a senior official in the US administration said.
Koussa is credited as having been a key figure in Libya's efforts to improve its international reputation before to the current crisis.
The 59-year-old was installed as Gaddafi's foreign minister in March 2009 after serving as the head of Libya's intelligence agency from 1994.
Formerly Gaddafi's right-hand man, Koussa is believed to have convinced the leader to dismantle his nuclear weapons programme, opening the way for the lifting of US trade sanctions.
Koussa served as ambassador to Britain in 1980, but was expelled after saying he wanted to eliminate the "enemies" of the Libyan regime in Britain.
Another senior defector meanwhile, rebel commander Major General Suleiman Mahmoud, told BBC's Newsnight on Wednesday that his forces needed time and help -- including weapons -- to overcome the Gaddafi regime.
"Our problem (is) we need help: communication, radios, we need weapons," he told the news programme.
With international help, Gaddafi could be defeated within two weeks: but without that help it could take more than six months, he warned.
Earlier Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament he would not rule out arming the rebels.
Britain expels diplomats
News of Koussa's arrival came just hours after British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that London was expelling five Libyan diplomats, including the country's military attache.
They were being kicked out for having intimidated Libyan opposition groups in London, Hague told Parliament.
"The government also judged that were these individuals to remain in Britain they could pose a threat to our security," he added.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the expelled diplomats were thought to be strong supporters of Gaddafi.
In Libya itself meanwhile, the rebel forces suffered a serious reverse.
Their forces were driven back some 200 kilometres by the superior firepower of Gaddafi's forces in a chaotic stampede that saw them yield most of the ground their recent advances had secured.
TEPCO chairman Katsumata said he saw little chance that the four stricken reactors in the six-reactor complex could ever resume operations.
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