'We just want him back'

Relatives of air enthusiast Andrew Jenkins, who was arrested earlier this month in Greece, say they "can't think about anything else".

Andrew's sister, Adele Yon, said: "What I would say to the people who are holding him is, please let him go.

"We just want him back. He's done nothing wrong but he's stuck in that jail.

"I would go there myself, grab him and bring him home if I could."

The Greek authorities suspected Andrew, 32, and the rest of his 12-strong party of spying when they were seen viewing aircraft at a military base.

They are due to appear before a court tomorrow. Andrew's lawyer has told Evening Press reporter Nick Hallissey, who is in Greece following the case, that he has a good chance of being freed.

But Adele, 47, from Bishopthorpe, said: "Every time I look in the Evening Press and see his face staring back it breaks my heart.

"The whole thing seems so slow, it takes ages for anything to happen, and it does prey on your mind a lot.

"I'm going to keep strong though. We all are. He is one of our family and we'll do everything we can to get him back - hopefully with all the other people that are there.

"We just can't think of anything else until we do," she added.

Andrew's other sister, 49-year-old Linda Hodgson, said she went to Lanzarote on holiday two days after her brother was arrested - but couldn't take her mind off his plight while she was there.

She said: "It was all booked so I decided I might as well go, but I was constantly listening to the World Service for news and constantly getting text messages off my daughter about what was in the Evening Press about our Andrew.

"He is a very independent person and I'm sure he'll be doing his best to cope with this, but he likes being with his family - who doesn't?

"We can't wait for all this to be over so Andrew can come home and we can give him a big hug."

Andrew's father, Edwin, 73, said: "We are confident he will be released because he's done nothing wrong. All he was doing was his hobby."

Meanwhile, the British consul in Greece has denied that Andrew is being held in bad conditions.

Donald Holder was responding to concerns from his family, based on reports from relatives of other prisoners detained in Napflion jail.

They indicated they were sleeping on mattresses soiled with blood and urine, that they had to pay for water, and they were often not given plates from which to eat.

Mr Holder said: "I have visited the group on several occasions and I have heard nothing of the sort. Obviously I would expect to hear from them if this was the case."

He conceded that they would be sleeping on mattresses, but said he had heard no reports of them being in poor condition.

He also said the group did have to pay for bottled water, but that the tap water was perfectly drinkable.

"Napflion is an overcrowded prison. All the prisons in Greece are, as they are in Britain, and that is not ideal.

"But the suggestion that the conditions are intolerable is utterly puzzling to me."

His main concern for the group's welfare was that they were probably running out of money, which they would need to buy bottled water and items from the prison shop. York MP Hugh Bayley has raised Andrew's case with the Europe Minister, Peter Hain.

Mr Hain and Prime Minister Tony Blair have already pressed the Greek authorities about the plight of Andy and other enthusiasts arrested at a military air base near the town of Kalamata.

Mr Bayley said: "I hope to see Andrew Jenkins released as soon as possible, the British Government is doing everything it can on his behalf."

Updated: 11:22 Monday, November 26, 2001