Plane-spotters arrive to 'clear names'

All members of the group deny spying charges

By Ryan Dilley BBC News Online in Athens

The British plane-spotters accused of spying in Greece have arrived in Athens determined to clear their names when they stand trial this week.

The 11 men and one woman, arrested in November last year, face a maximum five-year prison sentence.

They have been reunited with the two Dutch men they were arrested with on an air base in Kalamata, southern Greece.

The trial, also in Kalamata, begins on Wednesday and is expected to last two or three days.

Even if we are only given a suspended sentence with no fine, I will still go to appeal to clear my name

Lesley Coppin

One of the Britons, Lesley Coppin, whose husband, Paul, organised the trip, told BBC News Online she was glad "the court date had come" because they "did not want this hanging over us".

"The sooner the better as far as I am concerned," she added.

The group was arrested and held for six weeks on suspicion of spying.

Appeal vow

But they always intended to return, according to Mrs Coppin.

"Even if we are only given a suspended sentence with no fine, I will still go to appeal to clear my name," she added.

Lesley Coppin is the only woman on trial

Mr Coppin has run many such trips and was said to have a fax from the Greek air force saying they would be allowed to visit airfields.

The group was originally charged with gathering information to pass on to an enemy of Greece, which carried a maximum prison sentence of 25 years.

But that was reduced to a single "misdemeanour" charge of espionage, which has a maximum penalty of five years, or a hefty fine.

Bemused public

The Britons deny photographing military planes and claim they only wrote down the planes' numbers.

The base in Kalamata was having a public open day.

But defence lawyers have had difficulty explaining plane-spotting to a bemused public in Greece, where the hobby is virtually unheard of.

I needed to be here to support him

Peter Norris' wife, Perdita

One of the Britons, Peter Norris, told BBC News Online that although he was not looking forward to the trial he "wanted to clear his name and prove how wrong the Greek authorities had been".

His wife, Perdita, one of many relatives accompanying the Britons, told BBC News Online she "could not have let him come alone".

"I needed to be here to support him," she explained.

Anger at authorities

The couple, who had been considering starting a business in Greece, now refuse to buy even a bottle Ouzo in the country.

When their son asked if they would bring him back a bottle of the spirit, they told him there "wasn't a chance".

The spotters are accused of being in possession of a microscopic part of the information freely available on the Greek Air Force's website

Expert witness Paul Jackson, of Jane's All the World's Aircraft

And while Mr Norris does not blame "the regular Greek person in the street", he remains angry with the authorities for the way the Britons have been treated.

The group were released after paying bail of more than £9,000 each.

Many of them have gone into debt since their arrest because of their bail money and their legal bill, which has already topped £3,000 each.

Expert witness Paul Jackson, of Jane's All the World's Aircraft, accompanied the Britons to Athens.

He told BBC News Online: "The spotters are accused of being in possession of a microscopic part of the information freely available on the Greek Air Force's website - all of which is helpfully translated into English."

The Britons facing trial are:

• Wayne Groves, 38, from Tamworth,
• Paul Coppin, 57, of Mildenhall, Suffolk
• His wife Lesley Coppin, 52
• Peter Norris, 52, of Uxbridge, west London
• Antoni Adamiak, 37, of London
• Andrew Jenkins, 32, of York
• Michael Bussell, 47, of Swanland, near Hull
• Michael Keane, 57, of Dartford, Kent
• Steven Rush, 38, from Caterham, Surrey
• Christopher Wilson, 46, who lives close to Gatwick Airport
• Graham Arnold, 38, from Ottershaw, Surrey
• Gary Fagan, 28, from Kegworth, Leicestershire.

The Dutch plane-spotters are Patrick Dirksen, 27, from Eindhoven and Frank Mink, 28, from Den Helder.