Government anger over plane-spotters

The group insist they have done nothing wrong

The government has used an international summit in Romania to raise the case of the 12 British plane-spotters being held in Greece on spying charges.

Foreign Office minister Dennis McShane told Greek ministers at the meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe being held in Bucharest that the British government was very, very angry.

The allegations would not have been brought in any other European country, he said, demanding that the Greek intelligence services made clear what evidence they had against the aviation enthusiasts.

The group, arrested at the Kalamata airbase on 8 November, had been told their cases would be reviewed by three judges on Tuesday.

The three-week detention goes on

But the review is likely to be delayed, according to defence lawyers, as the state prosecutor has not yet forwarded his recommendations to the court.

The 12 in custody are Paul Coppin, 57 and Lesley Coppin, 51, of Mildenhall, Suffolk; Peter Norris, 52, of Uxbridge, west London; Antoni Adamiak, 37, of London; Andrew Jenkins, 32, of York; Wayne Groves, 38, of Tamworth; 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; and Gary Fagan, 28, from Kegworth, Leicestershire.