Nato widened its campaign to weaken Muammar Gaddafi’s regime with airstrikes on desert command centres and sea patrols to intercept ships, the military alliance said, amid signs of growing public anger over fuel shortages in government-held territory.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi taunted Nato, saying he was alive despite a series of air strikes and “in a place where you can’t get to and kill me”.