LONDON - Britain said on Saturday it would send more troops to Afghanistan to aid the country's transitional government in tackling lawlessness.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said around 50 troops and civilian staff would arrive in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif in early July.

A further eight teams, some of which would not be British-led, would follow in the coming months, he said.

The deployment comes amid concerns about worsening security and a failure to restore democracy to Afghanistan 18-months after the fall of the Taliban.

The country's interim government, under Hamid Karzai, has struggled to impose its authority outside the capital Kabul.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, who announced the deployment of a provincial reconstruction team in May, said the troops would focus on improving dialogue between local warlords and politicians.

"By encouraging and facilitating dialogue between all the political groups and militias around Mazar-e-Sharif, the team will contribute towards the Afghans themselves creating a safer and more stable environment," Hoon said.

He added that the troops were expected to remain in Afghanistan for up to two years.