British troops in Iraq put at risk: parliamentary report

British troops fighting in Iraq were exposed to greater danger than necessary by being ill-equipped, according to findings published Thursday by a committee of British parliament.

The findings, in a report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, said troops were put in danger because of an "utterly unacceptable" shortage of the correct protective equipment.

The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) had not managed equipment well, the report said, stating that 200,000 body armor components had been issued since 1999 but the department did not know their whereabouts.

Despite investing 550 million pounds (about 979 million US dollars), the MoD still lacked a "credible consignment tracking system" and it could not successfully track its kit from storage to front line, the report said.

The MoD has acknowledged difficulties in ensuring front line forces received supplies in time, and a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) watchdog in last December found troops were sent to Iraq badly equipped.

The report comes amid controversy over the death of Sergeant Steven Roberts, who was asked to hand in his body armor because it was in short supply before being shot in the chest near the Iraqi city of Basra last year.