MPs across Worcestershire voted with David Cameron for the ‘principle’ of military action in Syria last night - despite saying they are fearful of war.

Worcester MP Robin Walker, Mid-Worcestershire’s Peter Luff and West Worcestershire’s Harriett Baldwin all sided with the Prime Minister, but couldn’t prevent a shock commons defeat.

In an attack on the Mr Cameron’s authority, 50 Coalition MPs voted against a watered-down motion backing the principle of intervention.

Mr Walker - who said earlier this week he was against war - claimed his vote was not a u-turn.

“I voted with the motion, but explicitly made the point to the whips that I cannot support military intervention at this stage,” he said.

“There was an explicit line in the motion saying there will have to be another vote in the commons to support any action.

“If David Cameron and Nick Clegg has said ‘this is us going to war, this is a vote for boots on the ground’, I would not have supported it.”

The motion called for military action at a future date if it can be backed up by evidence from United Nations inspectors about the use of chemical weapons in the war-torn nation.

Mr Cameron tried to get it passed by revealing before last night’s vote that it would still require UN evidence, and a further vote, before troops were sent in.

Mr Luff said: “This motion should have been backed by the commons - it condemned Assad, gave us time to wait for the UN report and still required a second commons vote.

“We have opted out, and I believe it has worrying consequences amid this humanitarian crisis.”

Mrs Baldwin said: “"In my opinion, the case for military action has not yet been made and the motion I voted for required that there would still need to be a further vote before the UK could act militarily.

“I will continue to scrutinise this process and will press the case for all diplomatic means to be used to allow the United Nations to prevent further humanitarian disaster and further use of banned chemical weapons in Syria.”

The result was 272 votes for and 285 against, with Labour refusing to side with the Government.

An earlier Labour motion demanding further conditions before Britain could launch military action was defeated by 322 votes to 220.

But Councillor Joy Squires, Worcester's Labour parliamentary candidate, said: "No matter how Tory MPs try to spin this, David Cameron wanted support for military action without firm evidence, without UN backing and with no clear plan for what was to be achieved by bombing Syria and avoid an escalation of the conflict.

"Ed Miliband, and those who voted against the Prime Minister, have clearly learned the lessons from Iraq."

The shadow of Tony Blair loomed large over the debate, with many MPs mentioning the mistakes and misinformation of the Iraq war.

Education secretary Michael Gove was said to have shouted at Tory rebels outside the House of Commons voting chamber: "You're a disgrace, you're a digrace."

The last time a Prime Minister was defeated over an issue of war and peace was in 1782.

Mr Cameron said: "It is clear to me the British Parliament does not want to see British military action.

"I get that and the Government will act accordingly."

Senior US officials say President Obama, who was hoping for British support, is still looking to move ahead with a limited military strike despite the result.