Britain is to send an extra 220 troops to Iraq, it has been announced.

Geoff Hoon announced on Thursday that the additional soldiers will be dispatched, although "good progress" is being made in training Iraqi security forces.

Seventy of the additional troops will be withdrawn after they have assisted with the move to Al Muthanna, in south east Iraq.

The defence secretary said the extra forces were needed to replace those from Holland who are being withdrawn at the end of their tour of duty in March.

While some 1,400 Dutch troops are being withdrawn, the Ministry of Defence said that only 600 replacements were needed.

Most of those will come from the Queen's Dragoon Guards and the 2nd Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, which are already in Iraq.

Of the additional 220 troops now to be sent, some 70 of them will return home once they have finished helping with the logistics of the move.

Hoon said in a written statement that the temporary increase "will subsequently fall to approximately 150 once the initial deployment is completed".

He added that the overall number of UK troops in Iraq will fall in February when 400 personnel sent to provide additional security in the run-up to the election return home.