CONVICTED child smuggler John Boast has vowed to blow the lid on the plight of Romanian babies.

He made the promise after sacking his lawyer in the run-up to a prosecution appeal against his suspended jail sentence.

The former Great Harwood businessman was given the suspended 20-month prison term by a judge in the northern town of Oradea last week after being found guilty of smuggling youngsters out of the country.

He has since admitted taking children but insisted he did it to save their lives and not for money.

But, despite being praised for his humanitarian work in Romania by the judge, the self-styled aid worker now faces another long legal battle after prosecutors refused to accept the sentence. Mr Boast, who is living in constant fear of being re-arrested, is hoping appeal judges throw out the case at the first hearing, expected to be within the next six weeks. If they don't it could drag on well into next year.

Mr Boast said: "I am now locked 100 per cent into the appeal process and am just waiting for a date for the first hearing.

"I am so sick of it. They want me thrown out of the country. "I have sacked my lawyer, for a variety of reasons - but primarily because I can't afford to pay her any more.

"I owe money I can't pay already.

"I am going to represent myself if they let me and I think I'll be better off doing that.

"Not one word was said in my defence in 18 months and it is about time it was. No matter whether I did it or not, no evidence was provided to prove I did it but they still found me guilty.

"I don't feel I should justify myself to people who are letting others die.

"I won't let these people manipulate me like they manipulated my lawyer.

"But as soon as I start telling the truth then the way people here deal with it is to make false accusations to discredit everything that is said.

"It may be worthwhile seeing it through but there is a limit and I am rapidly approaching it."

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