BACKBENCH Labour MPs have attacked Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon over the Government's backing for US missile defence.

In the Commons, they criticised the decision to agree to the upgrading of the Fylingdales base, in North Yorkshire, for US President George Bush's Son of Star Wars programme.

Labour left-wingers were angry over the principle of supporting the US plans. MP Jeremy Corbyn said many of those who wanted a Labour Government elected in 1997 also wanted a government committed to global disarmament of nuclear weapons.

He told the minister: "I've heard nothing from you today that says anything about global disarmament, but says a great deal about accelerating and exacerbating the dangerous arms race around the world."

But Mr Hoon retorted that National Missile Defence "is a defensive system and threatens no one".

However, Leeds MP Harold Best said listening to the Defence Secretary reminded him of the film Dr Strangelove and the "insanity of the idea of mutually assured destruction".

Shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin said Tories endorsed the Fylingdales upgrade, but warned that failing to "participate enthusiastically" from the outset could damage the UK's defence industry.

Britain also risked losing the opportunity to influence the design of the system to its own advantage, he said.