Photos

As the death toll of Britiish Troops in Helmand Province continues to rise (some are local lads) so too figures are emerging of civilian casualties - the 'collateral damage' - of what is described as the most intensive and close quarter fighting since the Second World War. In 12 months of intensive fighting against the Taleban last year 230 civilians were killed - a number of them children. The causes of civilian casualties are routinely scrutinised and each major event is thoroughly investigated.

Each death of a soldier is routinely reported in the British media but apart from major episodes like the bombing of a wedding or a funeral party by mistake we don't hear about the nameless civilians who are dying by our taxpayers money and by the hand of soldiers fighting in 'our name'. In fact they are more often reported, when they are as the casualties of American bombs.....500lb bombs called in for close support by beleaguered British troops

The Coalition forces do not deliberately target infrastructure to de-stabilise the civilian population - such as clinics, welfare centres and storage facilities, power plants etc. - they are builders as well as destroyers.

In so far as is possible the British troops do not hide behind a curtain of hypocritical government rhetoric, obfuscation and lies (depending on your politics and point of view I guess) but apply a professional and humanitarian outlook alongside their military effectiveness. They are accountable to a substantial degree even if information is sometimes difficult to find and slow to emerge. Their quest is not to take land but to free land for the indigenous inhabitants ('on the side' of the elected government)`and to free a country from the actions of those who would occupy, terrorise and kill in the name of their own brand of politics and religion.

In 2007 - 1,574 youngsters aged 10-19 died in England and Wales - half were killed by illness and 546 by accidents, of which the vast majority were road deaths. I don't know the figures for younger children and infants........but from a country of over 60 million people this is a relatively small number.......this follows years of improvement of the conditions and services for as many people as possible who are under the care of the nation - irrespective of their religion or origin.....RIGHT!???......of course there are inequalities and the hangovers of discrimination etc.etc. but systemic prejudice and discrimination is challenged at every level.......but still the poor die younger, the life expectancy for some ethnic minorities is shorter and opportunities for lower income groups constrained - if you are poor you can always join the army and go to Iraq or Afghanistan - a route out of unemployment for many a working class lad in the past but somehow not so popular now!

So.....to the youth death toll on our roads, particularly of lads from lower socio-economic groups.....it strikes me that it is far higher than the death toll amongst British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq put together......I'm a quick thinker behind the lens......"can I take your photograph" I asked - "it would be a pleasure" he said with another broad grin.

He's not posing - I already had.