Beckett grovels.

Britain is in "direct bilateral communication" with Iran as it tries to win the release of 15 detained sailors and marines, Defence Secretary Des Browne said on Sunday.

"We are anxious that this matter be resolved as quickly as possible and that it be resolved by diplomatic means and we are bending every single knee to that," Browne told BBC television.

"It's not my intention to go through the detail of how low we’ve grovelled, and it wouldn't be appropriate to do that, but we are in direct bilateral communication with the Iranians," he said.

"We have apologized for invading Iranian territorial water and we have apologized for fabricating the lies about the Iranian double GPS positions."

"We unreservedly apologise for shooting up their consulate in Basra."

"Beckett has sore knees from grovelling," he said.