BBC
David Miliband has admitted two US 'extraordinary rendition' flights landed on UK territory in 2002.
The foreign secretary said in both cases US planes refuelled on the UK dependent territory of Diego Garcia.
He said he was "very sorry" to have to say that previous denials made in "good faith" were now having to be corrected.
The renditions - the transport of terror suspects around the world for interrogation - only came to light after a US records search, he said.
BBC world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds said the revelations were "a serious embarrassment for the British government".
Former foreign secretary Jack Straw and former prime minister Tony Blair made statements in 2005, 2006 and 2007 saying there was no evidence that rendition flights had stopped on UK territory.
Water boarding
Mr Miliband said the US had told him that neither of the two men involved in the rendition were British, neither left the plane and the US had "assured" him that no US detainees were ever held on Diego Garcia.
One of the men involved has since been released and one is at Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Miliband said the UK had been told neither of them had been involved in "secret detention centres" nor were subject to water boarding "or other similar forms of interrogation".
He said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shared his "deep regret" about mistakes in the two cases.
"Extraordinary rendition" is the term used by US intelligence agencies when they send terror suspects for interrogation by security officials in other countries, where they have no legal protection or rights under American law...........
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