THE East Lancashire brother of one of the 12 "plane spotters" arrested in Greece over allegations of spying has slammed the claims as "absolute rubbish".

Worried Steve Jenkins, of Southwood Drive, Baxenden, has not managed to speak to his air enthusiast brother Andrew, 31, for more than a week, and says his family is still waiting for news.

Steve said: "Andrew was arrested on November 8 and I managed to get to speak to him while he was being held at Kalamata police station.

"We think he has now been transferred to a prison there, but I haven't heard from him since.

"They are trying to jail him and the others for espionage, but the allegations are absolute rubbish."

He added: "We just don't know what is going on and what his happening to him. We are worried sick."

Steve, who runs Baxenden Packing Case Co., said his brother had been left "very upset" by the allegations and was missing his six-year-old daughter, Jessica.

His father, Edwin, with whom Andrew lives in York, and their sisters are all anxious to hear whether he will be released.

He said: "Dad is not in the best of health, as he had a heart by-pass over a year ago and he is very anxious to get Andrew home."

He said his brother had been interested in planes ever since he was a child.

"He paid £600 for this trip, but it has all gone wrong. He has travelled all over the continent to air shows as he likes to combine his hobby with his holidays."

Steve and his family are hoping to meet the families of the other 11 in Cambridge for a news conference to appeal for their release.

But the lawyer representing Andrew said he expected him to be a free man by Wednesday.

Ioannis Zacharias said Andrew did not take pictures of aircraft at an air base near Kalamata and that he was not the member of the group who had a frequency scanner.

He said that only seven of the group took notes and only three of those seven had taken notes which had "cause to worry the Greek air force."

He added the case against Andrew was likely to be lowered from a felony, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, to a misdemeanour,, although it is not sure what penalty he would receive.

Andrew and the group are expected to appear at Kalamata on Tuesday afternoon.

Europe Minister Peter Hain has already raised the issue with the Greek Foreign Minister.

He said: "We will continue to take every action we can to draw to the attention of the Greek authorities the deep concern in the country."