IT is more than three years since British armed forces joined the allied mission to oust Saddam Hussein and the war in Iraq began.

Yesterday, the all-party defence committee ordered essential military kit to be sent out to Iraq immediately because our forces are under-equipped and overstretched.

What an utterly scandalous state of affairs.

Saddam has been rooted out, and we should all rejoice at that. But peace in Iraq remains a long way off - indeed, civil war appears inevitable.

Why, then, has the issue of equipping our forces properly still not been resolved? How can we expect them to risk their lives every day when they do not even have the tools to do their jobs properly? And how can politicians sleep in the safety of their beds at night, knowing that basic equipment shortages remain despite being blamed for the deaths of a number of British soldiers?

The question of whether British forces should continue to occupy Iraq is open to debate. Our own view is that we cannot pull them out while the job we began is incomplete. But it is unacceptable for the Ministry of Defence to drag its feet over inadequate equipment and resources.

It must be sorted without any further delay.

A moral judgement

SVEN TUDOR-MILES tried to argue his way out of justice on the basis that the depraved images found on his computer were not of children. Instead, he had digitally-manipulated pornographic photographs of adults to make them look younger.

Thankfully, Judge Peter Fox did not accept Tudor-Miles' argument at Teesside Crown Court yesterday and warned the pervert that he faces a prison sentence.

Had the judge not done so, a legal precedent would have been set which would have opened the floodgates for paedophiles to dodge the law by using digital-manipulation.

It makes no difference whether someone downloads child pornography or uses computer technology to make adult pornography look like children. Anyone who would go to such lengths is clearly a danger to young people and does not deserve to retain their liberty.

Tudor-Miles, who has a track record of sex offences, will return to the court on September 8 to be sentenced. They need to throw away the key.