IT was a farce. It is rapidly becoming a Greek tragedy. Andy Jenkins and his fellow air enthusiasts are being treated appallingly.

Nearly three weeks has passed since they were arrested at an air base near Kalamata, a visit that followed an invitation from the Greek military authorities.

The guards who arrested them said they were acting suspiciously, taking a great interest in military hardware and noting down aircraft numbers.

That is what plane spotters do, of course. It was easy to see how the misunderstanding happened, particularly after September 11.

Nonetheless, the authorities made a mistake, one which should have been recognised and rectified long ago. If it were not so serious, it would be comic: one of the bases they are accused of spying on is used as the backdrop for a Greek TV soap opera.

As it is, the group have been thrown into a grim jail at Nafplion where they share cramped and dirty cells with some of Greece's most hardened criminals. They are set to languish there for at least another two weeks after another court hearing proved inconclusive.

The Greek government is clearly embarrassed about the failure of its judiciary to deal with this case efficiently. Greece is our ally. It relies on the tourist trade from Britain, but the treatment of this particular group of tourists hardly rolls out the welcome mat.

The prisoners have not even been granted bail, leading Fair Trials Abroad to call this case the "most disgraceful breach of the presumption of innocence" it has ever come across.

More pressure must be brought to bear on the Greek authorities. We are unsure as to what York MP Hugh Bayley did on Andy's behalf, before setting off for his visit to Pakistan, but it is clear the family feel they are not receiving enough support from the British authorities.

The Foreign Office must redouble its efforts to ensure this potential Greek tragedy has a quick and happy ending.

Updated: 12:23 Wednesday, November 28, 2001