British Prime Minister Theresa May should continue to work with the United States and France to deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, government ministers agreed on Thursday.

May met with her senior ministers to discuss an attack which took place in Douma in Syria on Saturday, and which ministers said was "highly likely" to be the responsibility of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

"Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime," May's office said in a statement.

"Cabinet agreed the Prime Minister should continue to work with allies in the United States and France to coordinate an international response," the statement added.