LAST week this newspaper launched a campaign calling on the government to issue our troops serving in Afghanistan with combat medals. Our campaign has featured a series of compelling reports from our reporter David Paine who spent a week on the front line with local soldiers from the Mercian Regiment.

Our reports have brought home to all who have read them the hugely dangerous situation UK troops find themselves in.

The Helmand area is a true war zone. This newspaper has told how soldiers have been involved in close combat situations on an almost daily basis, risking their lives in the fight against the Taliban.

We admire their bravery and the stoicism they show in doing their duty.

As we have said before, whatever your views on the reasons behind the deployment of our troops to Afghanistan, they deserve your support.

The aim of our campaign is simple. At the moment soldiers in Afghanistan receive a campaign medal no different to if they were on a peacekeeping mission. It can only be awarded once, irrespective of the number of tours of duty undertaken.

We say they should receive a medal with a clasp to represent the intensity of the combat situation and that a medal should be awarded for each tour of duty.

Today we will be taking our campaign to the highest level - sending our campaign issues and a letter to the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary.

It is a campaign with huge public support. We hope they recognise this and agree to give our boys a medal.