Parents of an 18-year-old killed in Afghanistan have blasted the government for wasting taxpayers' money on MPs expenses, while 'ill-equipped' soldiers are dying.

Trevor and Jane Ford, whose son Private Ben Ford was killed by a Taleban explosive two years ago, say the government is failing UK troops.

Their comments come after eight soldiers were killed in the space of 24 hours, bringing the death toll in Afghanistan to 184 and overtaking that in Iraq.

The Fords claim the force's vehicles are still not being fitted with electronic jamming devices needed to detect roadside bombs, despite calls from the coroner at the inquest into their sons death.

They back the war but say MPs are spending the money needed to fight it properly on themselves.

Mrs Ford said: “How much money do we need to throw at other things in this country before we realise the armed forces need that cash?”

“What is Gordon Brown doing? Is he just sitting there counting his own money and leaving us to just dwindle along?

“If we are not careful the Government will just waste the money on things that are not necessary, like giving the money to MPs for their luxury apartments. Why can’t we have luxury bombs?.”

"Or at least luxury equipment," Mr Ford added.

Speaking on BBC Radio Four's Today program the couple said UK needed to provide both a financial and spiritual backing to its troops.

Mr Ford added: “People don’t realise they are fighting a bully. It is like in the playground and the bullies are the Taliban and binLaden,” she said.

“We have got to give them the spiritual backing. We have got to say to these lads ’You’re doing a good job’.

“We are sorry they are losing their lads - it is awful - but if we pull out now, that bully has won.”

Times Recommends

• 'New York has lost its edge'
• Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too
• More than 17,000 new underwater species found