'War should be avoided at all costs': Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard calls for diplomacy over North Korea

Mr Pritchard is vice-chairman of the Conservative parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committee and a member of the national security strategy joint committee.

He says talks need to continue with North Korea in order to resolve the crisis caused by the country's weapon testing.

He said: "Diplomacy has not run its full course. It needs to do so.

"War should be avoided at all costs, but we cannot allow North Korea to strike first."

Nuclear tests carried out by North Korea have been strongly condemned by the Government in the House of Lords.

Baroness Goldie, for the Foreign Office, said the UK was seeking a peaceful diplomatic resolution of the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsular.

"We strongly condemn the nuclear test conducted by North Korea on September 3," she told peers at question time.

"It poses an unacceptable threat to the international community.

"We will continue to work with our international partners to maximise pressure on North Korea's leadership to change direction and stop their destabilising action."

But Lady Goldie's insistence that North Korea was "beginning to feel the tourniquet" of international sanctions was greeted with some scepticism by the House.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for talks with the country, saying sanctions are not a solution to the country's nuclear and missile development.

Mr Putin spoke after meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Vladivostok, Russia, on the sidelines of a conference on economic development in Russia's Far East.

North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, saying it had detonated a hydrogen bomb.

Mr Moon said before his meeting with Mr Putin that the situation could get out of hand if Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests are not stopped.

The Russian leader, speaking in China on Tuesday, condemned the latest nuclear test as provocative, but said that Moscow views sanctions on North Korea as "useless and ineffective".

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who will meet Mr Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, said before his departure from Japan: "We must make North Korea understand there is no bright future for the country if it pursues the current path."

Theresa May and US president Donald Trump have urged China to use all its influence to ensure North Korea ends its "illegal acts" as the crisis over the rogue state's latest nuclear test continued to dominate international affairs.

The Prime Minister and Mr Trump discussed the situation by telephone and agreed to put more economic pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister and the president agreed on the key role which China has to play, and that it was important they used all the leverage they had to ensure North Korea stopped conducting these illegal acts so that we could ensure the security and safety of nations in the region.

"Mrs May said Britain would work with the US and international partners to continue to exert economic pressure on North Korea through further measures including sanctions.

"The Prime Minister noted the importance of the UN Security Council continuing to present a strong and unified international voice by reaching swift agreement on new measures.

"The Prime Minister said she would also work with EU leaders on further measures the EU could take to pressure the North Korean regime."

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also told MPs China needed to try and end the "grave crisis".