Britain prepares more sanctions on Zimbabwe

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Wednesday it was preparing tougher sanctions against specific members of the Zimbabwean government and urged world leaders to work together to remove President Robert Mugabe from power.

"We are preparing intensified sanctions, financial and travel sanctions, against named members of the Mugabe regime," Prime Minister Gordon Brown told parliament.

He said the way forward for the country was United Nations and the African Union "working together for a change of regime."

Brown also said his government was speaking to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with a view to banning the Zimbabwean cricket team from touring England next year.

"We want to ensure Zimbabwe does not tour England next year and we will call for other countries to join us in banning Zimbabwe from the Twenty20 international tournament," he said.

Zimbabwe were due to play two test and three one-day matches in England in May, ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup in June.

Zimbabwe has been thrown into turmoil since its disputed election in March. The opposition MDC has withdrawn from a presidential run-off with Mugabe because of violence.

Mugabe, 84, has refused to call off the vote, shrugging off mounting international pressure.

Southern African leaders were meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis following an unprecedented UN Security Council statement on Monday that condemned the violence and said a free and fair run-off election on Friday was impossible.

Brown also said companies that were helping Mugabe's regime should "reconsider their position".

(Additional reporting by Kate Kelland; editing by Keith Weir)