British soldiers have been scavenging the debris of war for Iraqi army boots because the British army variety are disintegrating in the hot desert sun.

Guardsman Lee Williams, 18, of the Desert Rats' Royal Scots Dragoon Guards battle group, found a new pair of boots in an abandoned barracks which he said were "lighter and more comfortable" than the British footwear.

He added that he had been forced to swap his footwear because no replacements were available for his own disintegrating boots.

Equipment shortages have affected British forces since their arrival in the Gulf.

Army officers concede there have been problems with supplies, partly because of the relatively short time available between the announcement of British deployment and the soldiers' arrival in the Gulf.

Guardsman Williams, accepted that his footwear problems would not prevent him fighting effectively, but said that he was disappointed that he was having to wear Iraqi boots.

"The English boots I had on were not desert boots, and the sole on them was coming off because of the heat.

"So I picked up a pair of the Iraqi boots for myself. There were lots of them, and they are more comfortable and lighter than the ones I was wearing.

"I would not have believed it if you'd have said that I would be wearing Iraqi boots before I came out here."

"The Iraqi army seems to be better clothed than we are. We are supposed to look like professional soldiers, but we don't. I look like a tramp."

(Agenceis)