Two bank accounts held by members of the Zimbabwean President Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF Party have been frozen by the British Government.

The move was made under sanctions imposed on President Mugabe and Zimbabwe's ruling elite by the European Union.

The EU agreed the sanctions after the head of its mission to observe the spring presidential elections was expelled from Harare in February.

The sanctions regime effectively prevents other targeted individuals gaining access to UK financial services

Lord McIntosh

The UK bank accounts, containing a total of £76,000, belonged to two individuals listed as members of the Mugabe regime's ruling elite.

Responding to a written Parliamentary question in the House of Lords, Lord McIntosh of Haringey said the move would restrict Zanu-PF activities in the UK.

"The sanctions regime effectively prevents other targeted individuals gaining access to UK financial services," he added.

Under the EU decision, all 15 member states imposed a travel ban on President Mugabe and about 20 of his close political associates.

'Climate of fear'

It was also agreed their assets in EU countries would be frozen.

The March election saw President Mugabe claim a further six-year term with 54% of the vote.

But the legitimacy of his victory over Morgan Tsvangarai of the Movement for Democratic Change was widely questioned.

The Commonwealth observer group in Zimbabwe strongly condemned the election, saying it was held in a climate of fear.

After the election, EU leaders agreed to pursue further "targeted" sanctions aimed at the veteran leader and his closest allies.

The aim was to censure the president, while allowing the continued flow of humanitarian aid into Zimbabwe, which is suffering its worst food shortages in many years due to Mugabe's rule.

Since the election, President Mugabe has pressed ahead with his policy of stripping white farmers of their land for redistribution among poor blacks which brought widespread international condemnation.

White farmers have been ordered to stop working the fields, resulting in a collapse in the country's agricultural production.