British soldiers dropped Afghan prisoners from a forklift “for fun”, an inquiry has heard.

The Afghanistan inquiry is investigating alleged war crimes by UK special forces from 2010 to 2013 – as well as claims of a cover-up.

Whistleblowers Monica Grenfell and Christopher Green decided to give evidence after a request for witnesses to come forward was made by inquiry chairman Lord Justice Haddon-Cave.

Grenfell, who worked as a mess hand, or kitchen worker, with the SAS at that time, said she had met a soldier who told her about prisoners being abused.

“I specifically recall him telling me that he would put prisoners on a forklift, raise it up and drive very fast so that they fell off,” she said.

Green, who served in Afghanistan between January and September 2012, told the inquiry he was dismissed as a “Taliban-loving apologist” after raising concerns about the killing of three Afghan farmers by the SAS.

He said his own unit’s intelligence team believed there was “nothing to suggest” the men were Taliban commanders. Still an SAS representative insisted they were and that the men had drawn weapons when engaged. Green asked to see footage of the SAS raid to fact check this, but was denied.

The mother of the three farmers was then paid the equivalent of £3,634 in cash by the UK government, money that was described as an “assistance payment”, the inquiry heard.

Both Grenfell and Green described a disturbing culture in the SAS.

“[I have] never been anywhere that was as bad as there,” Grenfell said. “You felt no one was really watching them, and the language was just… I’ve never known language like it,” she added.

Green, who served as a captain in the Grenadier guards and has since retired from the army, said that SAS soldiers were allowed alcohol, when this was banned for everyone else, and that members of special forces did not have to abide by normal rules around dress and respecting ranking officers.

“This may seem like a small thing, but actually it sets a culture of exceptionalism – and it is that culture of exceptionalism that led to, I believe, a sense among special forces that the normal rules did not apply to them, and therefore they were out of control,” he said.

The Ministry of Defence has said it will wait for the inquiry to finish before commenting fully.

A spokesperson told the Times: “The government is fully committed to supporting the independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan as it continues its work, and we are hugely grateful to all former and current defence employees who have so far given evidence.

“We also remain committed to providing the support that our special forces deserve, while maintaining the transparency and accountability that the British people rightly expect from their armed forces.”

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