A British aid worker being held hostage in Afghanistan was killed by captors during an attempt to rescue her, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said today.

A Christian charity has said it is not planning to leave Afghanistan despite the murders of 10 of its aid workers - including a British doctor.

A Briton, six Americans and another foreigner on a medical mission were shot and killed by the Taliban who ambushed their vehicles in a remote part of northern Afghanistan, a charity said today.

Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamic rulers sealed the offices of two Christian humanitarian aid organisations today.