Afghan war has cost Britain more than 37bn pounds, claims new book

The war in Afghanistan has cost Britain at least 37 billion pounds, a new book has claimed.

In his book, Investment in Blood, to be published next week by Yale University Press, Frank Ledwidge, estimates British troops in Helmand have killed at least 500 non-combatants.

According to the Guardian, since 2006, on a conservative estimate, it has cost 15 million pounds a day to maintain Britain's military presence in Helmand province.

The author of the book claims that by 2020, Britain would have spent at least 40 billion pounds on its Afghan campaign, which is enough to recruit over 5,000 police officers or nurses and pay for them throughout their careers.

With the amount Britain could fund free tuition for all students in British higher education for 10 years.

According to the report, alternatively, the sum would be enough to equip the navy with an up-to-date aircraft carrier group, or recruit and equip three army or Royal Marine brigades and fund them for 10 years.

Ledwidge, who has also been a civilian adviser to the British government in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, said that Helmand is no more stable now than when thousands of British troops were deployed there in 2006, the report added.