British man given 50 lashes reveals the horror: 'I lost count because I was in too much pain'

The practice of public floggings by Saudi Arabia has been widely condemned as barbaric.

A British grandfather Karl Andree, 74, is facing 350 lashes for possessing homemade alcohol in Saudi Arabia.

Andree's family fear that he will not survive the punishment and, according to one man's experience, they have every right to think so.

Gavin Sherrard-Smith was sentenced to 50 lashes after the police accused him of selling alcohol to a Muslim in Qatar in 1993.

The Daily Mail reported that Sherrard-Smith has always denied the allegations but was whipped anyway.

Sherrard-Smith spoke to the Daily Mail in 2007 about his ordeal.

"The lashing started immediately. One, two, three - in quick succession", he said, " I buried my head into my forearms, gritted my teeth and concentrated on not breaking down."

"Four, five, six, seven - they kept coming thick and fast. At first the pain wasn't too much and I could feel where he was hitting me."

He continued to tell the Daily Mail, "At about 20 I lost count because I was in too much pain, but someone else was counting each stroke out loud in Arabic."

"Today, the scars have healed, but I will never forget the ordeal."

Drinking or possessing alcohol is illegal in the strict Muslim country which is notorious for its strict Sharia law punishments, which can include public flogging, stoning or execution by beheading or even crucifixion.