A DEFIANT Tony Blair accepted for the first time yesterday that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction - but refused to apologise for going to war.

In his speech to the Labour Party conference in Brighton - on a day that two more British soldiers were killed in Iraq - the Prime Minister admitted that "the evidence has turned out to be wrong".

But Mr Blair said: "I can't, sincerely at least, apologise for removing Saddam. The world is a better place with Saddam in prison, not in power."

During an hour-long speech, the Prime Minister was forced to face down anti-war and pro-hunt hecklers, who were dragged out of the hall by police.

It was the first time Mr Blair's leader's speech has been disrupted from the conference floor. Stewards were forced to stand and face the audience, in case of further protests.

The Prime Minister dealt skilfully with the hecklers - joking that "after seven years, there are a lot of protests to choose from".

But the speech received a cooler reception than in previous years, winning respectful rather than ecstatic applause at the end - and a much shorter standing ovation.

Only hours after the soldiers died in an ambush on their armoured convoy near Basra, Mr Blair was forced to devote a large chunk of his speech to the war, despite pledges to focus on the home front.

He admitted the conflict had created "a problem of trust" and that many people believed that "by our actions we have made matters worse".

Mr Blair said: "The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons, as opposed to the capability to develop them, has turned out to be wrong. I acknowledge that and accept it."

But, he insisted: "Such evidence was agreed by the whole community, not least because Saddam had used such weapons against his own people and neighbouring countries."

The resolute defence of the decision to go to war won applause from about half of the hall, but many other delegates sat on their hands.

On domestic issues, Mr Blair unveiled a ten-point blueprint for a third Labour term, promising to create an "opportunity society".

But the day was overshadowed by the latest grim news from Iraq. The two soldiers, who have not yet been named, were gunned down as they tried to help injured comrades when their convoy was ambushed near Basra.

They were travelling in a convoy south-west of the city yesterday morning when one of the vehicles was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.

When the two tried to help injured colleagues out of the armoured Land Rover they were targeted with small arms fire. They later died in hospital.

Officials said at least two Iraqi bystanders were also injured.

The latest deaths bring to 68 the total number of UK service personnel who have died since hostilities began in Iraq.

Opening his address to hundreds of delegates Mr Blair had expressed his sorrow for those who had died.

"Before I start my speech, I want to express our condolences to the latest British casualties in Iraq," he said.

But even as he prepared for the speech Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon died in a roadside bomb explosion in Basra earlier this year, called on him to "stop listening to Bush and start listening to us".

She said: "It's time for them to come home, I want a deadline to be set - have the troops home by Christmas."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned of a worsening situation in the country as planned elections approach. Iraq's top US military commander General John Abizaid said he expected more violence in the months ahead.

Dozens of car bombings have rocked Iraq recently. Four US marines died on Friday, adding to a toll of US deaths that has topped 1,000 since the invasion last year.

Comment - Page 12