A 79-year-old British man imprisoned by the Taliban alongside rapists and murderers has described his situation as “the nearest thing to hell.”

Peter Reynolds, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were captured by the Taliban in February while returning to their home in central Afghanistan.

In a voice note provided to The Telegraph by his family, Mr Reynolds, speaking from the notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, described his situation as “the nearest thing to hell”.

He said: “I am learning a lot about the belly, the underbelly of Afghanistan. The prison guards shout all the time and beat people. We just witnessed a guy being beaten just now by one of the wardens outside in the exercise yard.

“It’s a horrible atmosphere, the nearest thing to hell I can imagine.”

The Reynolds, who have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and have joint UK-Afghan citizenship, are being held separately in the Afghan capital.