TYRANT Slobodan Milosevic's 13-year iron fist rule of Yugoslavia was over last night after an uprising by more than half a million people.

The crowd took control of the centre of Belgrade, seized parliament and burned down the state TV station.

Riot police, who had initially tried to quell the human tide with tear gas, backed off and some joined in the taking of parliament.

Flames engulfed the state television building - wrecked in last year's Nato air raids and then restored - and the opposition claimed to have control of the network .

The state news agency, one of the chief pillars of Milosevic's rule, announced that it was no longer loyal to him.

The huge rally had been called to force President Milosevic to hand power to Vojislav Kostunica, after last week's election results were nullified yesterday.

But the demonstration rapidly turned into full-scale revolution against Milosovic, with the crowd chanting ''Kill him! Kill him!''

Addressing thousands of wildly cheering supporters, Kostunica - who defeated Milosevic in the presidential elections - declared that Serbia was again ''part of Europe".

He called on Western nations to lift economic sanctions because Yugoslavia was now a democratic state.

''We call on everybody to accept peacefully and with dignity the results of the election,'' said Kostunica. ''We call on the military and police to do everything to ensure a peaceful transition of power.''

He told the crowd that ''there would have been no Nato troops if there hadn't been Slobodan Milosevic.

''Bombs wouldn't have dropped on this people if there hadn't been Slobodan Milosevic. He was stealing and didn't know how to conceal the theft.''

He declared that Serbia ''is now on the road to democracy, to where there is no place for Slobodan Milosevic.''

Last night, Kostunica was reported to have called an inaugural session of the new parliament.

Hours after the uprising had begun, the army was no where to be seen in Belgrade. Most of the military are said to have voted for the opposition in the presidential election.

Members of the opposition last night met government security officials and were assured that the police would not crack down on protestors.

Milosevic's whereabouts were not known, but a Pentagon spokesman said that as far as the United States knew, he was still in Belgrade.

Although Kostunica has said he will not hand Milosevic over to the UN war crimes tribunal, the Serb strongman is thought unlikely to hang around.

He remembers all too well what happened to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who delayed his abdication until it was too late and was captured then executed.

Milosevic is believed to have a well prepared plan of last resort to flee the country with his wife and two adult children. Russia is his likely chosen destination.

Opposition spokesman Zarko Korac said: ''I think by tomorrow we will probably know where he's hiding."

Outside Downing Street, as he left for Warsaw last night, Prime Minister Tony Blair said: ''The verdict from the elections was clear. The verdict on the streets is clear. The message for Milosevic is clear.

''Go. Go now. Go before any more lives are lost, before there is any more destruction.

''And I say this to the people of Serbia. Whatever the differences that have been between us, now that you have reached for democracy, the hand of friendship and partnership from countries like Britain is there for you.

"Together, in whatever way we can, we will rebuild this troubled part of Europe."

US President Bill Clinton branded Milosevic's regime ''a hard-core dictatorship'' and said: ''I think the people are trying to get their country back."

Nato bombed Yugoslavia in early 1999 to stop Milosevic's ruthless ''ethnic cleansing'' of Kosovo