Gaddafi's son ready to surrender in international court

The 39-year-old Seif has been on the run since the Nato airstrike on the city of Sirte last Thursday that led to his father's capture and subsequent execution, the Daily Mail reported.

The offer of surrender raises the prospect of a trial in The Hague which could include new details of the background to the Lockerbie bombing (1988) and murder of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher.

Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, was captured by the National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters seven months after an international West-led alliance launched a military operation in Libya March 19.

Seif and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, the ousted Muammar Gaddafi's brother-in-law, had been trying to broker a deal through a third country - believed to be Niger - to hand themselves in, said a senior official in the National Transitional Council.

Senussi is said to have fled into Niger late last week and there were reports last night that Seif had also crossed into the country where hundreds of millions of pounds of Gaddafi's smuggled money is held.

Seif and Senussi are wanted on ICC warrants for genocide and crimes against the Libyan people.