SOLDIERS fighting in Afghanistan do have adequate kit, say Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters chiefs.

Regimental spokesman David Sievwright says the men fighting in Afghanistan have the best equipment available in their fight against the Taliban.

His comments follow articles in national newspapers saying troops are not being supplied with the gear they need.

Around 650 troops from the regiment are out in Afghanistan.

Mr Sievwright, a retired lieutenant colonel, made the remarks following an article on the front page of The Daily Telegraph by Thomas Harding which said that resources for troops in general were "woefully inadequate".

Mr Harding said that just 50 per cent of Apache helicopters were working, only 70 per cent of Chinooks were available and one garrison was down to its last 200 mortar rounds because there were no helicopters around to supply them.

Mr Sievwright, a retired Lieutenant Colonel, said the Woofers boasted cutting edge equipment, including new body armour, underslung grenade launchers, night vision kit and light machine guns.

He added: "I don't think the Woofers will have any engagement where they run out of ammunition. There are always going to be general complaints about equipment and soldiers always want more stuff. Most of them will say they have excellent equipment. On the whole they are pretty happy with the equipment."

The article, published in The Daily Telegraph, on Saturday, June 16, said that only 19 of 96 new armoured vehicles had been delivered, engineers were forced to travel in "soft-skinned" trucks while carrying high explosives.

The article also says that soldiers have bought their own binoculars because of inadequate Army sights.

The first Woofer to die in the conflict was Lance Corporal Paul Sanford from London who was shot during an operation to clear a Taliban compound in the Upper Gereshk Valley in Helmand on Wednesday, June 6.