'Disappointment' at jailing

Mr Pike was among a group who campaigned for the release of Anwar Khan, from Burnley, when he spent four years in jail in Afghanistan after being captured by the Northern Alliance.

He said he had hoped Khan would try to become "a model citizen."

But Anwar and his brothers Hussain, 24, and Dawood, 38, were jailed for a total of 13 years on Friday after all being convicted of violent disorder.

Khan, 26, of Kent Street, was sent to Pakistan by his family in 1998 to get over heroin addiction. He left behind a wife, Zorah, and baby son Hamza.

Shortly after arriving in Pakistan he crossed the border into Afghanistan and took up arms with the Taliban.

Just three days later he was captured by the Northern Alliance and taken to a jail in the north of the country, where he spent almost three years.

Burnley Councillor Rafique Malik, a former Mayor of Burnley and his son Shahid Malik, a member of the Labour Party's ruling National Executive Committee, joined Mr Pike, the British Mission in Afghanistan and the High Commission in Pakistan in highlighting his case. He was released in 2002.

But earlier this year Anwar and his brothers stormed into the Friendly, on New Hall Street, Burnley.

They were armed and Anwar hit a man on the head with a baseball bat.

The three were convicted of violent disorder by a jury at Burnley Crown Court and Anwar and Dawood were also convicted of seperate charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

On Friday, the three were jailed for a total of 13 years.

Mr Pike said: "I said at the time Anwar was released that I hoped he would have learned by the mistakes he had made in his past.

"He obviously hasn't and it's quite correct for the courts to have dealt with him in an appropriate way.

"I did hope he would have tried to be a model citizen and clearly he hasn't done so. I feel that it's a grave disappointment and that he's let down a lot of people."