The heartbroken father of a Northern Ireland soldier killed in Afghanistan has said he still supports the war that claimed the life of his son.

His son, Lance Corporal Nigel Moffett, is among the 229 soliders who have died in Afghanistan, including five killed on Tuesday.

Public support may have waned in the eight years since battle began in October 2001, but Nigel Moffett Snr said a solider’s only duty was to serve his country.

“My belief in the war in Afghnaistan is that our politicans have the right to represent us in taking decisions for us,” Mr Moffett said.

“If they have decided, which they have done, to take us to war in Afghanistan, then they have two obligations.

“One obligation is to supply our troops with the things they need to carry on a war and the second is to look for all manner of ways where they can establish peace, whether it be by war or political agreement.”

Mr Moffett said he had no doubt that his son, who was serving with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force when he lost his life, had everything he needed for war.

“My Nigel said he had every conceiveable need attended to; he was fully armed, fully equipped,” the 54-year-old civil servant said.

“At the end of the day politicians have to have recourse to the military to tell them what they need.

“If someone has a statement to make that there weren’t enough flak jackets, I would want a poltician to stand up in Parliament and explain why the military have not been supplied with what they need.

“I fully support anyone who has a question with regard to supplying our troops.

“For a widow who has been told that her soldier husband did not have what he needed is a shameful and terrible thing.”