London  - Britain is Wednesday expected to announce the deployment of around 500 additional British troops to Afghanistan, taking the total number to 9,500.

In a statement to parliament, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to urge other European NATO members to also step up troop levels.

The increase comes after extensive consultations over strategy between Britain and the US.

It coincides with a new opinion poll Wednesday showing that more than a third of British voters would like forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.

According to the Populus poll, published in the Times newspaper, 36 per cent of Britons want troops to come home from Afghanistan, compared with 29 per cent in a similar survey conducted just four weeks ago.

The additional combat troops will be deployed in southern Helmand province, where so far 221 British soldiers have died. (dpa)