Afghanistan: I regret working with UK, says abandoned English teacher

‘Why did I work for people who left me and fled and left me alone here?’

A former English language teacher abandoned in Afghanistan says he now "regrets" working with UK because of the danger he faces with the Taliban in full control of the country.

Last night the last US evacuation plane left Kabul airport, bringing to an end the western presence in Afghanistan, some 20 years on from the 9/11 terror attacks.

Taliban militants claimed victory as the aircraft took off and celebrated by firing guns into the air.

The final UK flight departed on Sunday.

The teacher, who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisal, said he has been targeted by the new regime because his face is on billboards in Afghanistan advertising English classes.

"I regret working with the English," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"I regret helping people learn English. Why did I work for people who left me and fled and left me alone here? My background is hurting me nowadays."

He added: "They are looking for me because I've got pictures in billboards advertised for classes. Also, I worked for the British Council. I worked for the UK for the past eight or nine years."

The teacher is among thousands of at-risk Afghans who are eligible to leave but have been left behind following the withdrawal of UK and US troops.

Hundreds of British and American citizens are also stranded.

Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, said he was unable to give a "definitive" figure on how many Afghans the UK failed to airlift to safety.

He told BBC: "It's very difficult to give you a firm figure. I can tell you that for UK nationals we've secured since April over 5,000, and we're in the low hundreds (remaining)."

The teacher said he tried to flee Afghanistan shortly after the Taliban took over, but found there was no way to escape.

He said he applied for the evacuation scheme but had "no reply", adding he was able to obtain a Pakistan visa but has been unable to leave safely.

"Last night was the worst," he said. "It was, the whole night, guns while you're sleeping. It damages your mind. My fate will be the same, like others."

Additional reporting by Press Association