By Mark Davies BBC News Online political reporter

Foreign Office minister Denis MacShane told BBC News Online that the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were "gangsters, criminals and terrorists".

One is no longer is prepared to justify what the FARC did in May when they threw gas bombs into a church and killed over 100 people sheltering in it

Denis MacShane UK foreign minister

Mr MacShane said there had been "a sea change in attitude, to some extent since 11 September" over Colombia.

The minister was speaking in an interview conducted before the recent visit to London by Colombian president-elect Alvaro Uribe.

Dr Uribe is seeking international support in the quest to end decades of violence in Colombia.

Mr MacShane said it would have to be decided whether Colombia alone can deal with the guerrillas and paramilitaries "or whether it can ask for help".

Right

But he went on: "We should be under no illusions: the cocaine ending up on the streets of Britain comes in part from Colombia.

MacShane: "Sea change" since 11 September

"And if the paramilitary groups are allowed to rule over large of chunks of Colombia then there will be no peace of any sort."

He said the way forward must be through a negotiated political settlement but said the Colombians "have got the right to help in terms of delivering security".

"How that is done will be for the new president to discuss with international partners," he added.

"But it will also be a responsibility for Europeans to accept that there is a security dimension in Colombia that must be addressed."

'Fascist techniques'

He went on: "We will talk to the new Colombian government, we'll talk to our European partners.

Violence has dogged Colombia for decades

"One no longer is prepared to justify what the FARC did in May when they threw bombs into a church and killed over 100 people sheltering in it.

"The last time something like that happened was in France when the SS burnt down a church with a couple of hundred French people sheltering in it.

"So the FARC are using fascist techniques to maintain their control over territory and that will require a strong response."

The church attack, the deadliest single incident in the country's 38-year-old civil war, came as villagers in the north west village of Bojaya sought refuge as FARC guerrillas battled with right-wing paramilitaries for control of the area in Choco province.

FARC later said the mortar bomb attack had been an accident.

Dr Uribe is to take office on 7 August after a campaign pledge to crackdown on the country's warring factions.

Brigade

He has won strong backing from the US, with aides of President George W. Bush saying that Colombia's turmoil is tied to the war against terror.

Restrictions on existing and future US aid to Colombia which mean military aid can only be used for the war on drugs have been dropped.

Around $440m is earmarked for the creation of a second anti-narcotics brigade - trained by US Special Forces and equipped with US helicopters - to join one formed in 2000 with money granted by President Clinton.

Another brigade will be trained to provide security for a major oil pipeline that has been the target of guerrilla attacks.

Some of the money will also be used to create an elite unit to pursue right-wing paramilitaries.