British commanders in Afghanistan are watching to see if the Taliban are changing tactics after troops in a militant hotspot reported that insurgents' shooting is becoming more accurate.

Six UK soldiers died in Sangin in northern Helmand Province in the space of a week at the start of this month, four of them from gunshot wounds.

Defence chiefs are monitoring whether this represents a shift by militants away from the use of roadside bombs to target British forces in the notoriously violent district.

UK military spokesman Major General Gordon Messenger said soldiers on the ground in Sangin had confirmed the accuracy of some Taliban firing was improving - but he stressed it was too soon to draw any firm conclusions from this.

He said: "Across the operation in Afghanistan, people are constantly looking for the ways in which the Taliban are adopting and adapting their tactics so that we can counter them in a timely fashion. That's something that's happening all the time.

"What you have seen is a slightly higher proportion of the fatalities in Sangin have been as a cause of gunshot wounds.

"Direct fire engagements in Sangin are part and parcel of the security operation. They happen all too frequently.

"What the guys on the ground are reporting is that there has been an increase in the accuracy of some of those small arms engagements.

"The guys on the ground are very carefully watching that to see if there are any changes in capability.

"It is absolutely too early to make any judgments on that, and nor are they. But they're very wary of it, and they're watching it, and they're ready to have counter-measures should it transpire."