PETER BLEACH walked free from jail in India today.

The North Yorkshire arms dealer left a Calcutta prison accompanied by two British diplomats.

The Foreign Office said he was now being looked after by consular staff at the British High Commission.

The 52-year-old former St Peter's School pupil, of Fylingthorpe, near Whitby, is expected to fly home to Britain later this week.

Home Secretary David Blunkett was told by the Indian Deputy Prime Minister last week that Bleach, jailed for life in 2000 for taking part in an illegal arms drop in Bengal in 1995, was set to be freed.

But a series of legal hitches then arose, including fresh customs cases against him, delaying his release, and Bleach responded by going on a hunger strike.

Bleach, whose mother Oceana lives near Scarborough, has been locked up since December 1995, when he was arrested at Bombay Airport.

He and his Latvian crew were alleged to have parachuted rifles, grenades and rocket launchers to terrorists in West Bengal.

They were charged with sedition, an offence carrying the death penalty.

Bleach claimed that he was acting as an inside man for the British Government, and had been working to expose the terrorists. The Ministry of Defence and North Yorkshire Police confirmed he had given them information, but instructed him not to get involved.

The trial was postponed time after time, but eventually went ahead in early 2000. Bleach escaped the death penalty after being cleared of attempting to wage war but he was convicted of conspiracy to commit offences against the Indian government, and jailed for life.

The five Latvians who accompanied him on the arms drop were also jailed, but were freed a few months later after the intervention of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The British Government, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, then pressed for Bleach to receive the same treatment as the Latvians.

Home Secretary David Blunkett appealed for his release during an official visit to India last week.

India's deputy leader indicated then that Bleach would be released soon.

Bleach's friend, Richard Stansfield, said he was delighted with the news.

He said there had been times when he thought Bleach would never be released.

Mr Stansfield said: "Last June was disappointing, when it seemed like he was getting out and then it went quiet again.

"It is brilliant news and will take some time to sink in. We kept hearing of new obstructions and now he is out."

Updated: 14:00 Wednesday, February 04, 2004