JAILED North Yorkshire man Peter Bleach hopes he could be freed from an Indian prison this week as the British Prime Minister visits the country.

Bleach's family and friends hope Tony Blair has raised his imprisonment with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. They are expecting news to arrive any day.

Bleach, an old boy of St Peter's school, York, who is from Fylingthorpe, near Whitby, was jailed more than six years ago for his part in an arms drop to suspected Indian hardliners.

But Russian counterparts jailed with him were released more than a year ago after intervention from their president Vladimir Putin.

Bleach's schoolfriend Richard Stansfield, who has been campaigning for his release, said: "We have had too many false dawns to be over-optimistic, but we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will hear some news soon.

"I spoke to his mother last weekend, and she has sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to do his best on Peter's behalf."

Updated: 11:10 Monday, January 07, 2002