THE brother of a soldier on the front line in Afghanistan has blasted the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for spending thousands of pounds renting a Northwood mansion for a general to live in.

The rent is £4,700 – equal to £56,400 each year – according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats.

Tim Wilson's brother, Luke, 25,(pictured) is currently serving as a Royal Engineer Lieutenant in Helmand province, with the 28 Engineer Regiment.

Mr Wilson, of Harmondsworth Road, Sipson, said: "I am totally outraged – what the MoD is doing is an absolute disgrace.

"It proves that no matter what we do to raise funds to support our boys, they are using the money to line their own pockets and for their own extravagances.

"When you see the soldiers like my brother in Afghanistan lacking basic necessities like underwear and socks and living off ration packs without fresh vegetables for months, it is nothing less than thieving."

The news comes as the MoD faces crippling cuts to fill a £36million budget black hole.

Eleven top officers across the country enjoy the privilege of living in luxury rented properties, with one home in Chelsea costing £84,000 per year – enough to pay the salary of five army privates.

Privates earn about £16,000 a year and according to The Sun newspaper, a recent report found a third of homes given to soldiers are damp and infested with vermin.

Mr Wilson and his brother were guests at this year's Local Heroes awards, where nominee Debbie Power was named a runner up in the Fabulous Fundraiser category for collecting more than 70 boxes of gifts for troops in Afghanistan.

Mr Wilson added: "I think everyone can live on modest wages – the average working man manages to live on what they earn, not on handouts.

"Although I think the MOD does a good job on the whole, this is on par with the expenses scandal – officials should be forced to move into more modest accommodation, that's the bottom line.

"This is insulting people's intelligence and is completely disrespectful and unfair."

Liberal Democrat spokesman Willie Rennie said: "This extravagant living is an insult to the troops who are paid a pittance and given shoddy housing.

"Squandering precious funds on a few at the top just shows how out of touch the government is."

A MoD spokesperson said: "Where there isn't enough accommodation locally, we house service families in substitute accommodation."