Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son, Sayf al-Islam, has warned that civil war could hit the country.

His comments came in a lengthy TV address to the nation broadcast as anti-government protests spread to the capital Tripoli.

Despite criticising protesters, he also held out the promise of significant political reforms.

He admitted that the police and army had made "mistakes", but said the death toll was far lower than reported.

He said opposition groups and outsiders were trying to transform Libya into a group of small states. If they succeeded, he said, foreign investment would stop and living standards would drop drastically.