WORRIED family and friends are travelling to visit alleged child-smuggler John Boast in a "hell hole" jail after hearing nothing from him for two months.

The Great Harwood charity worker has been kept in prison in the Romanian town of Oradea since being arrested in May.

His brother, Andrew, and close friend Steve Wood plan to travel to Romania after his regular letters and telephone calls home stopped when he was taken into custody.

Mr Boast, 47, was accused In January of helping to take a child out of the country but he lost his liberty only when additional charges were brought two months ago.

He is now expected to stay in the notorious Oradea jail until at least September after a further adjournment in his case last week.

Andrew, who runs a corner shop in Charles Street, Rishton, and Steve, of Norden View, Rishton, plan to drive to Romania at the beginning of August to find out what is happening.

Steve, who will be joined on the trip by his wife, said: "The last time I heard from John was in early May.

"I used to receive a letter or a phone call every week but since he was arrested there has been absolutely nothing. None of his family has received a thing.

"The silence is chilling. You don't know if it means he is not allowed access to writing material because they don't want us to know how he is and how he is being treated.

"It is not like John to not get in touch with somebody and we have heard a lot of horrible tales about the physical and sexual abuse in Oradea's main jail, if that is where he is."

The men have contacted the British Embassy in Bucharest to check details of Mr Boast's detention.

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