THE East Lancashire brother of one of the Greece plane spotters today demanded their trial be scrapped.

The 12-strong group is facing trial over accusations it gathered secret information at an air show in Kalamata, Southern Greece, last November. The 11 men and one woman were arrested and held in prison for nearly six weeks.

Later this month the group is set to stand trial in Kalamata and expect a verdict within two or three days.

Today Steven Jenkins, of Baxenden, whose brother Andy was one of those arrested, said the case against them was "nonsense" and that the people were determined to clear their names.

Steven, who hopes to travel to Greece to support his brother for the April 24 trial, said: "This has been hanging over the heads of the whole family, not just Andy.

"It has been an awful situation but the whole thing is just nonsense. If the Greek authorities thought they were guilty they would not have sent them home in the first place.

"Andy, and the rest of the group, want to clear their names and put an end to this."

Steven said Andy, who lives in York, could not return to work for two months following his release last December through the stress of the ordeal. He said Andy described his time in the Greek jail as "horrendous" and said he has hardly spoken of it.

The plane spotters were originally accused of gathering the information to pass to an enemy of Greece, a charge which would have carried a maximum prison sentence of 25 years.

They now face a single "misdemeanour" charge of espionage, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail. They have already had to pay bail of £9,000 each, plus a legal bill which has already topped £3,000 each.