British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced an extra £5m ($8m) of transitional aid to Zimbabwe.

Mr Brown announced the aid at Downing Street in London, joined by Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mr Brown said it would bring British transitional aid for Zimbabwe this year to a total of £60m ($98m).

Zimbabwe says it needs $8bn (£4.9bn) to revive the economy but pledges during Mr Tsvangirai's tour of Europe and the US have fallen far short of that sum.

Mr Brown said the £5m announced on Monday would be channelled through aid agencies and non-governmental organisations, not Zimbabwe's power-sharing government.

Some £4m ($6.5m) would be devoted to food aid and the rest to buying text books for Zimbabwean schools, he said.

Mr Tsvangirai said "irreversible change was now taking place in Zimbabwe towards a transition to democracy and elections".

On Saturday in London, Zimbabwe's prime minister was booed by Zimbabwean exiles when he urged them to return to the country.

Many were bitter that, following years of outspoken opposition to the Zimbabwe government, he had decided to join it and offer public support to Mr Mugabe.

Mr Tsvangirai's UK visit is the final stage of his tour of Europe and the US.

By BBC