THE officer who led Colchester’s paratroopers on their first mission to southern Afghanistan has blasted a Treasury-imposed cap on resources the Army could deploy.

Brigadier Ed Butler told the Defence Select Committee his soldiers could “just about hold the line” because a £1.3billion budget for a three-year campaign re- stricted troop numbers to 3,300.

The Government has always denied limiting the resources available for the mission, with then Prime Minister Tony Blair saying commanders could have whatever they want.

Brigadier Butler led 16 Air Assault Brigade in summer 2006 as they began the probe into lawless Helmand province.

Six soldiers based in the town were among 35 killed during the brigade’s six-month tour. Brigadier Butler left the Army last year to spend more time with his family, but it is understood his resignation was a protest at how Whitehall managed operations.

Giving evidence to Parliament’s Defence Select Committee about British strategy in Afghanistan, he said the lack of resources was best demonstrated by a shortage of helicopters. He said the Taleban “forced us off the road” when they began targeting soldiers with roadside bombs and, without sufficient helicopters, troops were left lacking mobility.

He told MPs the Government thought “the whole of Helmand was burning”, but in reality there were only small pockets of fighting and development and reconstruction work should have been started in more peaceful areas.

He said: “What we did not think through was what type of campaign we were getting into.

“It did come as a considerable shock to people. We now know what the problems are, but whether we can resource these is up to others.”