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Prime Minister Theresa May told President Trump yesterday that Britain would need more evidence of a suspected chemical attack by the Assad regime before joining a military strike against Syria, The Times reported.

The prime minister rejected a swift retaliation as inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) prepared to visit the Damascus suburb where at least 40 people were reported to have been killed by chlorine gas on Saturday.

Mr Trump had promised on Monday that he would decide the US response within 48 hours. As that deadline approached, it appeared that he too was drawing back from an imminent strike. The US president cancelled weekend travel plans amid reports that Russian and Iranian involvement in Syria had complicated White House calculations about the response to a US-led attack.

President Macron of France is committed to punitive action if it is confirmed that President Assad has crossed a “red line” on chemical weapons. He also appeared to limit the response, however, saying that any French strikes would focus only on chemical facilities.

Last night Russia vetoed a UN security council resolution ordering a full investigation into the Douma attack. Britain’s ambassador said that Moscow had “crossed a line in the international order”. Only Bolivia supported Russia, while China abstained.