British Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday paid his respects to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks as he visited Ground Zero in New York City.

The Prime Minister and his wife, Samantha, bowed their heads in silence beside the reflecting pool which acts as a memorial site on the footprint of the former North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

Mrs Cameron laid a posy of white roses on the spot where the name of British victim Katherine Wolf is engraved alongside nearly 3,000 others who lost their lives.

The Prime Minister said the visit brought home to him why British troops are fighting in Afghanistan.

“Here at the site of the Twin Towers, Ground Zero, here is the place to remember why what we do overseas is so important, so people are safe at home,” he said in a round of TV interviews.

Also yesterday, it emerged David Cameron and Barack Obama discussed potential measures to bring down the price of petrol in the White House talks.

Reports suggest President Obama raised the prospect of an international release of strategic reserves to relieve pressure on supplies.

British officials travelling with the Prime Minister on his three-day US visit confirmed that oil was discussed but declined further.

They played down reports from London that a formal request from the US may be imminent.

A senior Obama administration official is reported to have said: “No agreement was reached. We will continue to work together to address energy security and oil price issues.”

President Obama is coming under intense pressure over record prices at the pumps as he seeks re-election in November.

Speaking in New York, Mr Cameron said he had been “bowled over” by the warmth of the reception he received from President Barack Obama during his two days in Washington.