600 Afghan interpreters who worked alongside British troops will be offered to settle in Britain

The Prime Minister’s National Security Council has drawn up a package of offers that will be put to the translators. Any Afghan who spent more than a year serving British forces, and who worked outside protected British bases, will be eligible for a five-year British visa. After that he will be able to apply for indefinite leave.

Translators will also have an option to stay in their country. Those who stay will be offered a five-year promise of employment or education, and pay of £500 a month. Those who remain in Afghanistan and take up employment will be given a pay-off of 18 months’ salary.

The Downing Street source said Prime Minister David Cameron had been "very clear that we should not turn our backs on those who have trod the same path as our soldiers in Helmand, consistently putting their lives at risk to help our troops achieve their mission". But many experts fear that the right to come to the UK could be taken as a sign of a lack of faith in Afghanistan's future after Western forces left.

During the war, about 20 Afghan interpreters were killed in action, dozens have been injured. Another five were killed while off duty.