HOME Secretary David Blunkett is the only obstacle to the return of British detainees at Guantanamo Bay, it was claimed yesterday.

The solicitor for British prisoner Feroz Abbasi said an apparent softening of Washington's demands indicated it was now the British government that was delaying the repatriation of the nine Britons.

US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Pierre-Richard Prosper was reported as saying detainees could be released from Camp Delta if their home countries were able to "manage" them after their return.

It was not immediately clear what form this management would have to take.

Mr Prosper indicated that the US would expect the prisoners to at least be held long enough for an investigation to take place.

But according to The Times newspaper, his officials indicated that, in the long term, surveillance by police could be an acceptable alternative to detention.

Solicitor Louise Christian said: "This confirms what we have thought for some time.

"The obstacle in the way of the British citizens being brought back to this country is not the US government.

"I'm afraid the fear is that it's our own Home Secretary who is the obstacle.

"David Blunkett is fearful that the public mood may change or that he will be criticised if they can't be prosecuted (in the UK).

"Unfortunately, we have a very authoritarian Home Secretary who thinks he should be able to lock up people without trial, as he has already done with 13 non-British nationals under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act.

"I think it is an exhibition of weakness that he is not prepared to accept this responsibility to bring them back to Britain."

Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons this week he hoped to have news shortly on how the issue of the nine detainees would be handled.

Officials said that this meant an announcement would be made in "weeks, rather than days".

"We are not asking for absolutes," Mr Prosper was reported as saying. "We are not asking for a guaranteed conviction.

"It depends on the individual. We are asking that they be detained and investigated and/or prosecuted.

"But it is not just a blanket request we have put in. What makes it much more complex is that we have to have these discussions on each individual."

Ms Christian, representing the family of Mr Abbasi, who marks two years in the US military jail this Sunday, added: "The idea that the detainees could be a security risk is patently absurd.

"They could be detained for seven days under the Terrorism Act and questioned by police in the presence of a lawyer.

"If there is evidence against them they could then be prosecuted under one of our draconian terrorism laws.

"If they can't be prosecuted, they can be kept under surveillance."