YORK air enthusiast Andy Jenkins says he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground for Christmas, and spending time with his family.

Plane spotter Andy, who spent 37 days in a Greek jail cell after being charged with spying, told the Evening Press that readjusting to normal life was "pretty tough".

"I'm not stopping the whole thing of going abroad and looking at planes," he said.

"But for now, I just want to spend time with my daughter, Jessica, and try and cool off a bit. That's what's most important at this stage."

Andy, 32, from Barkston Avenue, was arrested along with 11 other Britons and two Dutch men in southern Greece during a tour of the town's air base. They were originally charged with spying, although the charge was later reduced to one of accessing state secrets.

Having been home for almost a week, he said he was having a hard time getting used to everyday life.

"I'd got used to thinking about the case and concentrating on that, so coming back and just living here, doing day-to-day things, has been pretty tough."

The tour's organiser, Paul Coppin, is understood to be heading off on a plane spotting trip to Belgium before Christmas. But Andy said he had no such plans, and would wait until well into the New Year before going abroad again. He also revealed he is designing a T-shirt for his trial in Greece next year.

"It's going to look pretty good. It's going to have the words: 'The Kalamata 14: I am not a spy' on the front," he said. "I hope that will get the point across."

Updated: 09:32 Saturday, December 22, 2001