A Scots council which has been in regular contact with the Lockerbie bomber in Libya is trying to reach him as a campaign to overthrow Gadaffi comes to a head.

East Renfrewshire Council has been keeping regular communication with Abdelbaset al-Megrahi by phone and webcam since he was released early from prison to return to his homeland.

Heavy fighting has been taking place in the capital Tripoli around Colonel Gadaffi's compound after rebels seized control of much of the city on Sunday.

The council contact Megrahi as part of the conditions of his release from Greenock Prison. While he was in jail, members of his family lived in the East Renfrewshire area, so the responsibility of monitoring Megrahi’s adherence to his bail conditions fell to the local authority when he returned to Libya.

A spokesman from East Renfrewshire Council has confirmed a report that appeared in The Guardian, which states the council urgently want to speak to the convicted terrorist.

He said: "Right up to this point, there has been no breach of the release conditions and nothing up to now which gives us cause for concern. The conditions in the country put us into the position where we will need to contact him imminently to make sure we can still maintain that contact."

A spokesman from the council confirmed to STV News that contact is only made with Megrahi when council justice teams need to speak to him. The spokesman added disruption to Libya’s government since the rebel uprising earlier this year has largely been irrelevant to this arrangement, as contact is made directly with Megrahi and not via any government bodies.

Monthly medical reports on Megrahi’s terminal prostate cancer continue to be sent to the council, the spokesman confirmed, and this process has not been interrupted in recent months.

Compassionate grounds

The bomber was freed on compassionate grounds due his illness and returned to Libya in 2009. It was claimed at the time that Megrahi only had three months to live. Last weekend, however, marked the second anniversary of his release from jail.

Meanwhile, an English MP has said Megrahi should be brought back to the UK if Gaddafi’s regime falls. Conservative Robert Halfon said extradition to the US should also be considered so the convicted bomber does not continue a "life of luxury" in Libya.

Mr Halfon said: "The release of al-Megrahi marked the low point of Britain's appeasement of Gaddafi. We should make every effort to bring him back so he can spend the rest of his time in prison where he belongs.

"Or he should spend the rest of his life in a Libyan jail, or be extradited to the US. We should do everything in our power to make sure he is in jail, rather than living a life of luxury."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Al Megrahi was sent back to Libya according to the due process of Scots Law because he is dying of terminal prostate cancer, he is being monitored by East Renfrewshire Council under the terms of his release licence which he has not breached."

Megrahi was convicted of carrying out the Lockerbie bombing. Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over the skies of Lockerbie four days before Christmas 1988, leaving 270 people dead.

IN DETAIL

• Video: Scottish nurse caught up in heavy fighting as battle to topple Gaddafi rages in Libya