A DESPONDENT Little Lever soldier has issued an SOS call to his family urging them to send him . . .food.

The mother of the 21-year-old squaddie has responded by sending food parcels to her son, who is in a desert in Kuwait preparing for a possible war with Iraq.

In letters home, the unnamed soldier complained to his mother about a lack of food and the fact that much of it -- mostly rice and meat -- was "inedible".

His anxious mother is now sending food parcels containing beef burgers, beans, fruit and cereal bars to feed him.

She intends to write to Prime Minister Tony Blair complaining about food provision for British troops in the Middle East and the "appalling" living conditions they are having to endure, in contrast to the American forces. The mother, who did not want to be named for fear of identifying her son, said: "I wonder how Tony Blair would like it if his sons were in the front line?"

Letters home from her son reveal the poor conditions he is experiencing at a British army camp, 65 miles away from the border with Iraq.

The soldier, who has been in the army for three years, has complained about inedible food, a lack of equipment, no power -- forcing the troops to rely on torches -- and no showers or washrooms.

In comparison, he reveals, the American soldiers want for nothing, with vast catering facilities and even air-conditioned tents. The mother said: "I'm disgusted.

"My son says the Americans have 24-hour cook houses with nice food and modern tents, while our lads have got tents from the last war -- and nothing to eat.

"The British and the Americans are supposed to be in this together. But their facilities are so superior.

"I'll be writing to Tony Blair. If it were his sons on the front line, I am convinced there would not be these problems.

"I'm sending a parcel of food every other day and it's costing £12.80, so I can't carry on doing that."

Bolton North East MP David Crausby, who sits on the Government's defence committee, said the difference in rations between British troops and their US counterparts had been raised in the past. Mr Crausby added: "I have eaten British Army ration food and you would not want to live off it for months on end."

A spokesman from the Ministry of Defence said Army chiefs are aware of criticism from British soldiers in the Middle East.

He said: "Some supplies did not reach our troops in time, but the situation is being corrected.

"These things evolve over time and people are doing their best to make things comfortable as quickly as possible."

The estimated cost of sending up to 40,000 UK military personnel to the Gulf has already reached £1.75bn.

Experts expect the cost to reach £3.5bn, but it could rise even more of Britain is involved in rebuilding Iraq after a military strike.