The UK is in talks with the Taliban to ensure Britons can safely leave Afghanistan, the government has said.

Its special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, has met senior members of the hardline Islamist group in Doha, Qatar.

They also discussed safe passage for Afghans who have worked with the UK over the last 20 years.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister’s special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, has travelled to Doha and is meeting with senior Taliban representatives to underline the importance of safe passage out of Afghanistan for British nationals, and those Afghans who have worked with us over the past 20 years.”

It comes as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab admitted it will be a “challenge” for Britons left in Afghanistan to find a route to the UK.

He told Sky News the number of Britons who had not been flown out as part of the now-finished UK evacuation was in the “low hundreds”.

Mr Raab acknowledged it was “unclear” when the airport in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, would operate again and advised those who still sought to leave the country to find a route to the UK via neighbouring countries.

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