The son of a British couple detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly eight months has said he is overwhelmed by their release.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, who lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, are due to fly to the UK on Saturday after being reunited with their daughter in Qatar.

Jonathan Reynolds told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was ecstatic and massively grateful to those who were involved in securing their release.

The Taliban, who detained the couple on their way home on 1 February, said the pair had broken Afghan laws and were released after judicial proceedings - but the Islamist group has never disclosed a reason for their detention.

There were emotional scenes on Friday as the couple's daughter, Sarah Entwistle, met her parents as they stepped off the plane in Doha.

We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens, Barbie told Agence France-Presse at Kabul airport after Qatar-brokered negotiations for their release.

Their son Jonathan echoed those hopes, saying their desire would be to carry on living there and to do the work they were doing.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the vital role played by Qatar in securing their release.

Peter and Barbie Reynolds married in Kabul in 1970 and spent the past 18 years running a charitable training programme that had been approved by local Taliban officials when the armed group reclaimed power in 2021.

Jonathan, speaking about their work, said, They have not just a heart for the people of Afghanistan, but they have strategy as well, and the work they've been doing has been very fruitful and has a massively positive impact. He noted that he had shared encouraging reports about their programmes with them over the phone.

The couple's affection for Afghanistan was demonstrated by their decision to remain in Bamiyan province after the Taliban seized control in August 2021, while many other Westerners left.

Their family's public lobbying, highlighting the harrowing conditions of their detention, played a key role in securing their release amidst concerns over Peter's health and the effects of malnutrition on Barbie.

The couple were receiving medical checks in Doha before their departure for London, as the UK Foreign Office has limited support for British nationals in Afghanistan due to the non-recognition of the Taliban government.