WESTMINSTER is almost 3,500 miles from the front line of Helmand.

From the safety of a desk you don't hear the bullets. Don't feel the crump of another roadside bomb or taste the fear of imminent death.

So little surprise that Whitehall wants us to believe our troops in Afghanistan are being well looked after.

But from the heat of battle come different, awful messages - each conveying its own horror.

The grave shortage of airworthy helicopters, leaving Our Boys exposed to murderous attacks on the ground. Helicopters patched up from ancient old machines including one that was "cut and shut" from two joined together.

Incredibly the rear came from an ARGENTINE Chinook captured in the Falklands War 27 years ago.

In 2002, 364 choppers were ready for action. Last year there were 265.

Every soldier's diary, every letter from the front shouts out that we need MORE men, MORE medical supplies, MORE kit. A message echoed by military top brass ever more loudly.

This weekend, one of Britain's great warriors, Henry Allingham, passed away aged 113.

He lived and fought for a country that grew strong proudly respecting its Armed Forces.

It is to our eternal shame that he died in a country that treats them like entries in an accounts ledger.

Where every flag-draped body flown home reminds us how we are short-changing the finest in our land.

Creeping virus of fear

HYSTERIA over swine flu is infecting far more people than the virus itself.

Yes this can be a dangerous illness, yes we should take precautions. And yes, there have been fatalities, though often victims already had underlying problems. But let's get a grip.

The best way to combat swine flu is with calmness and information. Not to let it paralyse everyday life.

And, in this, both the Government and the media share responsibility.

Now, for example, there are baseless fears about a new vaccine.

Today in the News of the World, Dr Hilary Jones de-bunks those concerns with clear explanation.

The most contagious disease known to man is fear.

If we give in to that, we are lost.

Mrs R 'as ter risk it

GORDON Ramsay's wife Tana may risk a tumble in Dancing on Ice, but she'll get plenty of practice at home.

Let's face it, her F-Word hubby's been dancing on ****ing thin ice for ages.

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