When John Reid dispatched British forces to Helmand province on a "peace keeping" mission he expected them to achieve their goals "without firing a shot".

However, the reality is far different.

Our troops are overstretched and lacking support.

In a recent TV documentary British troops were filmed pinned down in southern Afghanistan, running low on food, medical supplies and ammunition. Calling in air strikes and air support is a lottery.

Our under siege troops have only eight Chinook transport helicopters in theatre and often when they finally arrive to evacuate the wounded it is too late.

Contrast this with the £2.3 billion refit the Ministry of Defence offices in Whitehall. Politicians and civil servants will sit on £1,000 chairs and relax in a coffee bar with plasma screens.

They will have a gym and quiet rooms to relax in where they may wish to sit and contemplate the contempt in which they hold our troops.

The cost of the refit could have bought 24 new Chinook helicopters, vital to British Army personal who are fighting in one of the most hostile countries on the planet.

While the MOD's civil servants sit in the lap of luxury our brave soldiers are facing the Taliban in un armoured Land Rovers, inferior weapons that routinely jam and a lack of air support that is putting their lives at even more risk.

When they do get to come home, battle weary and tired, they get to unwind in inferior quarters that have a massive backlog of repairs and refurbishment.

A far cry from the multi-million pound villas of Sir Cliff Richard, Robin Gibb and Silvio Berlusconi that the Blair family like to relax in.

I hope the next time the Prime Minister is sat by the pool in Barbados, Florida or Tuscany; he can manage to spare a thought for Britain's brave servicemen and women.

AUSTIN WILTSHIRE, Southampton.