Blair's promise over jailed fan

Michael Shields is serving a 10-year sentence in Bulgaria

Prime Minister Tony Blair has said the government is continuing to raise the case of a Liverpool football fan jailed for attempted murder in Bulgaria.

Michael Shields, 19, of Edge Hill, Liverpool, has always denied attacking Martin Georgiev in Varna in May 2005, but has been denied a retrial.

Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, raised the issue at Prime Minister's Questions.

"I can assure you that we will monitor it very closely," Mr Blair said.

Shields is serving a 10-year sentence in a Bulgarian jail.

Martin Georgiev suffered a serious head injury

His family is attempting to raise £90,000 to pay off a fine - also imposed by the Bulgarian courts.

Once the fine is paid, he will be allowed to return to the UK to serve the rest of his sentence.

Ms Ellman raised the issue in the Commons, asking Mr Blair to list the "qualities" that Bulgaria would bring to an enlarged European Union.

The country, along with Romania, is on course for joining the EU in January 2007.

Mr Blair said it was important to enlarge the EU.

"This is something that helps countries make progress both in political terms and in economic terms," he said.

Speaking about the Shields case, he said: "We will continue to raise it with the Bulgarian authorities but obviously this is something where we have got to be very careful about interfering with another country's independent judicial process.

"But, nonetheless, I can assure you that we will watch the case and monitor it very closely and we are in touch with the Bulgarian authorities about it."