A FORMER Middle Eastern diplomat believes the UK should end negotiations with Saudi Arabia over a £6billion deal for Eurofighter aircraft.

If the advice of Stephen Day was followed it could put thousands of jobs at risk in East Lancashire where parts of the aircraft would be built.

Mr Day, a former British ambassador to Qatar and Tunisia, was involved in a deal 20 years ago which saw the UK and Saudi governments working together on a landmark deal for aircraft manufactured by companies including BAE Systems.

A similar deal for 72 aircraft, revealed earlier this year, has been the subject of speculation after it was feared the contract could be put on hold while a UK probe into alleged corruption takes place.

Unions fear this could mean job losses at BAE, which employs more than 500 on Eurofighter work at its Samlesbury site near Blackburn, and almost 2,000 in Warton, near Preston.

But now Mr Day says the deal should be abandoned completely.

He has said that any deal could risk de-stabilising the Middle East.

He said: "Britain really has to sit back and think from first principles how it can best help the Middle East. The lesson of Iraq is that we can't do this militarily or by relying on the armed forces. There has to be a political situation.

"Selling arms to Saudi Arabia is not the way."

Under the Eurofighter project, BAE Systems employs a total of 5,000 people. The firm has no direct involvement in the negotiations, which are being held by the Saudi government and the UK ministry of defence.

Eurofighter is a project involving BAE and partners in the UK, Italy, Spain and Germany.

Last week it was revealed BAE Systems feared Saudi Arabia was delaying talks to buy the 72 jets over a UK corruption probe into a previous deal with the aerospace giant.

MPs have raised their concerns into the matter, and the National Defence Industries Council has written to UK trade minister Alistair Darling calling for a fast resolution of the investigation.