Speaking at a press conference in Gaza the British Journalist was freed after a series of negotiations in the rebel occupied Gaza strip and he spoke for the first time to a reporter at the scene.

"On the first day the leader of the group came in and told me I would not be killed or tortured," he said.

But soon afterwards he said he was hooded and handcuffed and dragged out into the night by his captors, an experience which raised fears which stayed with him for the rest of his incarceration.

"It was like being buried alive. I felt removed from world. It was occasionally terrifying, being held by people who were dangerous and unpredictable," he said.

Asked by his father on the phone moments after his release Alan Johnston said “I feel 100%”. He said he had managed to speak to his father although the hours since his release had been "incredibly hectic".  

Johnston was released in the early hours of this morning and Fayed and a group of Hamas gunmen guided Alan through the throng to a car, and they drove straight to the house of former Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.

There he held a press conference with Mr Haniya and another Hamas leader, former Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahhar, who was reported to have taken a lead in efforts to free him.

Mr Zahhar hailed it as part of Hamas's efforts to extend security to all in Gaza "without fear" and so that journalists could be free to work objectively.

He insisted no deal had been done with Alan's captors - who had been calling for the release of prisoners held in the UK and Jordan.

Alan Graham Johnston 44 was working for the BBC when he was captured in Gaza. Previously, he has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Gaza.

He was kidnapped by a group of Palestinian gunmen on March 12, 2007.

His father, Graham Johnston also spoke about his son’s release and speaking outside the family home in Argyll, Graham Johnston said it had been "a living nightmare". "It's a wonderful morning, I can't tell you. We got the phone call late last night from the BBC and we're absolutely overjoyed.”

"It's been 114 days of a living nightmare and just to hear his voice. He telephoned us. There was a lot of noise in the background - I think he was being jostled a lot - The phone was cut during a conversation between Mr Johnston Snr and Jnr and all that was said were a few brief words – “we've seen him on the box and it's just incredible; it's been a long 114 days." Said Graham Johnston.

His captivity led to many protests in the Palestinian territories, as well as the British government meeting a Hamas member for the first time.

Back in April there were unconfirmed reports that Alan Johnston had been murdered. But these reports were later declared by Palestinian intelligence sources to be false.

A tape claiming to be from Johnston's kidnappers surfaced on May 8, leading to renewed hope that he would soon be released, and three weeks later a Hamas spokesperson spoke of his hope that Johnston would be freed quickly.

Johnston then appeared in a video released online by his alleged kidnappers on June 1. Hopes were raised for his release in mid-June after Hamas took full control of Gaza and set a deadline for his release, but on June 24 a video of him wearing what he said was an explosive vest was released along with a warning that if attempts were made to rescue him by force it would be detonated.

He told how he had been held by the only group in Gaza thought to have a Jihadist character, and who were capable of doing the unthinkable to their captive.

Alan's father added that his son would probably be embarrassed by all the attention he has been getting.

"He is going to cringe when he realises all the pictures and stuff up all over the place, he's really going to cringe at that, he's pretty self-effacing sort of lad."

The couple recently released 100 balloons as part of a worldwide vigil for their son on his 100th day in captivity.

The event was held in their home village of Lochgoilhead.

Mr Johnston, 45, was educated at Dollar Academy and went on to do an MA in English and Politics at Dundee University.

He gained a diploma in Journalism Studies from the University of Wales in Cardiff and joined the BBC in 1991.

Rallies worldwide have called for Mr Johnston's release. An online petition was signed by some 200,000 people.