MashGet

The Prime Minister admitted that the death toll in recent days had made it "a sad and difficult time" as he warned that people should be braced for more losses.

But David Cameron told Mr Brown that he should not have cut the budget for vital helicopters, describing their lack of availability as a "scandal".

The desire for troops to be transported by air rather than vulnerable land vehicles has been highlighted by many of the recent deaths which have been caused by roadside bombs.