Blair faces grilling over Iraq account

Tony Blair has arrived at the Chilcot Inquiry to face fresh questions about his decision to take Britain to war with Iraq.

The former prime minister is making his second appearance before the inquiry to explain gaps in his earlier evidence and apparent discrepancies between his account and official documents and other witnesses' testimony.

The number of anti-war protesters staging demonstrations outside the QEII Conference Centre in central London, where the inquiry is being held, was not as high as the last time he attended the hearing.

Mr Blair entered the building by the front door, pausing briefly to let photographers take his picture. Last time he attended the hearing, he entered the venue by a cordoned off rear entrance.

He is expected to be grilled about what promises he made to former US president George Bush and his attitude to the advice about the legality of the war he received from former attorney general Lord Goldsmith.

Fresh evidence emerged this week of Lord Goldsmith's misgivings about how his legal advice was being used in the period before the war.

The former attorney general revealed he was "uncomfortable" about Mr Blair's public comments that Britain could attack Iraq without further United Nations backing when he was receiving clear legal advice to the contrary.