Britain said Saturday it was gravely concerned about fighting between government forces and the LTTE in the northern Sri Lanka and had sent an envoy to the United Nations for urgent talks.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the conflict threatened many thousands of civilian lives and repeated his call for an immediate cease-fire to allow civilians to leave the conflict area.

"The U.N. are making progress with the government of Sri Lanka towards an agreement to get support to civilians in the conflict zone and on efforts to get agreement from the LTTE to allow civilians to leave," Miliband said in a statement.

"The prime minister’s special representative, Des Browne, is travelling to New York to consult urgently with the U.N"

Sri Lankan officials said that the Rajapaksa administration had rejected Browne’s recent appointment of the UK’s Special envoy to Sri Lanka. Miliband recently raised the issue in a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama only to be told that there wouldn’t be a change in Sri Lanka’s position.