Britain has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peace in Sierra Leone.

Foreign Office minister Chris Mullin is in the West African state as part of his first official ministerial visit.

During the visit he confirmed Britain's continued involvement to peacekeeping operations on the ground.

Several hundred British troops have been stationed in Sierra Leone.

The country is still recovering from the decade-long civil war.

Mullin's visit to the region has already included stop-offs at Ghana and Nigeria.

His fact-finding visit included meetings with key members of the government and officials co-ordinating the UN-led peacekeeping effort.

War broke out in 1991 and eventually ended in 2000 when 13,000 UN peacekeepers were ordered in to restore order, with British troops playing a key role.

By then 50,000 people had died, more than two million people had been displaced and 100,000 had been tortured.

The average life expectancy for men is 33 years old.

Mullin is meeting British members of the international team training the new police force and the UN commission.

He will also have meetings with members of the UN special court which is investigating the war crimes and human rights abuses.

Foreign secretary, Jack Straw, has said ahead the government was determined to maintain its support despite fears of a troop overstretch.

"The UK's commitment to Sierra Leone is as strong as ever. The country has enjoyed more than a year of peace, and work to consolidate that peace is well advanced," he said last night.

"Sierra Leone has demonstrated that, with the right commitment, peace can be attained even in the bleakest of situations."