THE Rossendale family of a businessman held in a Dubai jail for 82 days without being charged are appealing to their MP for help.

George Atkinson was at a three-day golf tournament in the Gulf state when he was arrested on March 1. His wife, Helene, and daughters Nina, 16, and Alice, 18 are in France.

His mother, Louise Atkinson and sister, Moira, live in the Ramsbottom area.

Moira said: "We don't feel we have any control over what is happening. They keep taking him to court without giving him any notice and then when he gets there his lawyer has not been told, they speak in Arabic and he doesn't know what is going on.

"I am going to write to our MP Janet Anderson, to see if there is anything she can do to help."

Mr Atkinson, 45, designed and built the multi-million pound Dubai golf course. His company, Karl Litton (Overseas), held the promotion rights to the annual desert classic tournament, which was first hosted in 1989. Since 1993 these rights were taken over by the state-owned Dubai World Trade Centre and Mr Atkinson is pursuing a £4m breach of contract and conspiracy claim against the Dubai government anD the Professional Golf Association tour, in the High Court in London.

Moira said his solicitor, Matthew Rea, believes Mr Atkinson's arrest is connected with the case. She said: "George has already missed his anniversary and his birthday and he will miss Alice's school graduation ceremony this Saturday.

"The first Helene knew was a phone call from Dubai to say he had been arrested and I have been ringing her every day since it happened to try to keep up with how George is.

"There was a riot at the prison and since then they have not been cleaning the cells or the toilets. A friend tried to take him toiletries but was stopped. We just want him out."

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