Britain has officially recognized Libya's main opposition group as the country's sole legitimate authority.

U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague also announced Tuesday that Britain has granted the rebel government, known as the National Transitional Council, access to 91 million pounds ($150 million) of Libya's oil assets.
    
"This decision reflects the National Transitional Council's increasing legitimacy, competence and success in reaching out to Libyans across the country," Hague said.

"Through its actions, the national transitional council has shown its commitment to a more open and democratic Libya, something that it is working to achieve in an inclusive political process," he added.

"This is in stark contrast to Gaddafi, whose brutality against the Libyan people has stripped him of all legitimacy," the U.K. leader said.

Emphasizing the move, all remaining eight diplomats from Moammar Gadhafi's regime were expelled, Tuesday, from the U.K.