Tim Albone with British forces under fire in Helmand

A British paratrooper killed during a fierce firefight with Taleban forces in southern Afghanistan was named tonight as 19-year-old Private Damien Jackson.

Private Jackson, from South Shields, in Tyne and Wear, a member of The 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, is the sixth British serviceman to be killed in the troubled Sangin Valley, Helmand, in the past month.

He died yesterday as a result of injuries sustained after his patrol came under attack from rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles. The fighting raged for hours and was so fierce that reinforcements from 3 Para, arriving by Chinook helicopter, had to be turned away because of intense gunfire.

His father, Daniel, today spoke of his pride in his son - but criticised Government policy for placing "our young men and women in such dreadful danger".

In a statement he said: "I wish everyone to know just how extremely proud I am of my son Damien - of all that he has achieved in his lifetime and of the fact that he died, when duty called, protecting others, in the service of his country.

"A fine, upstanding South Shields lad, Damien was immensely proud to have achieved his ultimate ambition in becoming a member of the finest regiment in the British Army.

"My family and I are desolated at this news but we will strive to seek inspiration from the example of his courage.

"We fully support the British Army in Afghanistan whilst in no way supporting or condoning a Government policy which has placed our young men and women in such dreadful danger."

Earlier today the Government announced it is considering "as a matter of urgency" whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Des Browne, the Defence Minister, told Parliament that he would make his decision known as soon as possible but it would be "entirely inappropriate" to discuss further details at the moment.

He said: "I can now confirm that I have today received advice on additional deployment and I am considering it, as a matter of urgency, with the chiefs of staff."

The announcement follows concerns that British forces deployed in the southern province of Helmand are insufficient. Commanders say the troops have faced greater opposition than expected and are coming under daily attack. Apart from the six Apaches, the 3,300-strong British battle group in Helmand has only six Chinook helicopters and four Lynx between them to cover a province four times the size of Wales.

The Defence Minister's announcement follows Tony Blair's pledge yesterday that British forces would be given whatever they needed to carry out their missions.

Violence in Afghanistan has continued to escalate to its worst levels this year since the Taleban was ousted five years ago.

Rebel gunmen yesterday attacked an American-led patrol in eastern Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan, killing one member of the force.

British soliders are to lead a Nato peacekeeping mission entering some of the country’s most dangerous territory. The mission aims to rid the area of Taleban violence, rebuild the economy and replace widespread opium farming with alternative livelihoods.

A total of six British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in the last four weeks.

Corporal Peter Thorpe, 27, of the Royal Signals, and Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24, of the Intelligence Corps, were both killed on Saturday in an attack on the Sangin base.

Private Jackson joined the Army in November 2003 and completed his basic, passing with flying colours. He completed operational tours in Northern Ireland and Basra, southern Iraq, before being posted to Afghanistan.

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