Two more Britons freed from Guantanamo Bay have been refused passports by the Government, their lawyer has confirmed.

Solicitor Gareth Peirce said clients Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, and Richard Belmar had both had travel documents withdrawn under rarelyused laws.

It emerged Home Secretary Charles Clarke had used the same Royal Prerogative powers to deny passports to two other former Guantanamo detainees, Martin Mubanga and Feroz Abbasi.

Ms Peirce said letters from Home Secretary Charles Clarke indicated he had made his decision based on information obtained while Mr Begg and Mr Belmar were in US custody.

She disputed the information's validity and insisted her clients had been tortured by US authorities.

"At no time of course was any moment of their custody lawful," she said.

The Royal Prerogative powers have been used only 13 times since 1947 and for the last time in 1976.

Mr Begg, from Sparkhill, was arrested by the CIA in the Pakistan capital of Islamabad in February 2002.