A United Nations-backed court for Sierra Leone due to try the former Liberian president Charles Taylor for war crimes has asked the Netherlands to host the trial in The Hague because of security concerns.

His transfer "will be matter of logistics", pending a UN Security Council resolution and the agreement of the Dutch government said Desmond de Silva, QC, the top prosecutor at the UN-backed Special Court of Sierra Leone. The UK was expected to introduce a resolution at the UN as early as last night. But an initial hearing, in which Mr Taylor will become the first former African ruler to appear before an international court, is scheduled for Freetown today.Hans Nichols, Freetown