Boris Johnson has attempted to quell the idea of military intervention against the Syrian government after Donald Trump raised the prospect of taking unilateral action.

The Foreign Secretary said that passing a United Nations resolution to investigate a suspected regime chemical attack which killed 86 people and left hundreds injured, and complementary peace talks, should be the top priority - not rushing into a new confrontation.

"It is very important to try first to get out a UN resolution," Mr Johnson said.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Mr Johnson’s French counterpart, reiterated the point, saying: “(The first stage) is not to go in ourselves, under the pretext that the US president may have a rush of blood to the head, and get on to a war footing.”