RELATIVES of York air enthusiast Andy Jenkins have jetted out to Greece to campaign for his release.

Andy's sisters Adele Yon and Linda Hodgson were today hoping to visit him in the Nafplion jail after travelling from their York homes.

They are hoping they can help to put pressure on the Greek government to release Andy, 32, of Barkston Avenue.

He has been detained in Greece since November 8 after being arrested, along with 11 other Britons, at the Megara Airbase, Kalamata.

The Greeks claim the group was seen viewing military aircraft. It is hoped a court hearing, being held tomorrow, could see some of the 12 freed.

Adele and Linda are keeping their fingers crossed that when they return home, they will be bringing Andy with them.

They travelled to Greece armed with copies of Saturday's Evening Press. The paper carried a message from Andy's six-year-old daughter Jessica, who pleaded with the Greeks to let her dad come home.

Adele said: "Obviously we are hoping to bring Andy home. There is a chance we might be able to see him today. We just want to be near him."

Meanwhile, the group's bid for freedom has been rocked by allegations that its leader, Paul Coppin, of Suffolk, travelled to Turkey as a guest of its armed forces, in May.

He has been quizzed by Greek authorities about a visit to a Turkish air show.

Euro MP Richard Howitt warned that any report linking Mr Coppin to Turkey, a bitter enemy of Greece, could damage his chances of an early release. Authorities in Greece are said to be "taking the report seriously".

Mr Howitt, Labour MEP for the East of England, said: "This report is bound to have a damaging effect.

"When I met Paul in jail he volunteered the information that he had been questioned about attending an air show in Turkey, explaining his only connection was as an accredited aviation journalist, something he has done in many countries around the world."

In a separate move, Mr Howitt is to ask the European Parliament to investigate whether the treatment of the group has broken EU laws.

Mr Howitt said he would ask the Parliament to consider whether human rights rules had been broken.

Updated: 09:30 Monday, December 03, 2001