Tony Blair is unlikely to face criminal charges over his role in the Iraq War, according to former First Minister Alex Salmond.

But Mr Blair should be subject to parliamentary action in the wake of the Chilcot report's findings, the SNP MP said on his radio show.

Mr Salmond, who is his party's international affairs spokesman, said he would "genuinely like" the former Prime Minister to face prosecution for the decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

However, he added, "I'm not certain that's going to happen".

He said: "I still think some form of cross-party parliamentary action and accountability is required. I'm open minded about what it should be.

"There have been talks between MPs across the parties. We wanted to see the report first; we'll be meeting over the next few days.

"It's going to take people time to assimilate all the information in the report but I favour such action, I favour a means of parliamentary accountability because I don't believe that these things can just be sorted out by saying we will improve the intelligence gathering, we'll restore cabinet government, we'll have a sequence of decision making.

"At the end of the day these were decisions made by a human being and that prime minister was Tony Blair."

Responding to a caller who asked whether the parliament could prevent Mr Blair from holding international positions such as that of Middle East peace envoy, Mr Salmond added: "I'd like to see the ICC (International Criminal Court) investigate a crime of aggression but I don't think that's going to happen.

"I'd genuinely like to see a prosecution for that offence in this country but I'm not certain that's going to happen.

"But I think parliamentary action is possible and although it might seem a little thing, you've given the example of would it be possible to stop somebody holding public office again. The answer to that question is yes, yes it would. The parliament can actually do that."

He continued: "I'm not confident about domestic criminal action against Tony Blair.

"I'm not ruling it out and there's going to be a meeting on Friday incidentally of people with expertise in these matters to examine every possible iota, but parliamentary action is possible and the parliamentary action against Blair is not a matter of a vendetta or using this report to see him off.

"It's a matter of principle that unless there is a direct line of personal accountability then you cannot say with any certainty that disasters like Iraq won't happen again."