Plane spotters return to Greece for trial

A group of British and Dutch plane spotters has returned to the country to face trial.

The 12 British and two Dutch plane spotters spent more than a month in a Greek jail accused of spying.

The trial is due to begin on Wednesday in Kalamata and is expected to last two or three days.

The group was arrested in November last year for allegedly taking photos during an air show at a Kalamata military base.

They originally facing felony charges carrying a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, they were released on December 14 after posting bail.

Charges have been reduced to a misdemeanour charge carrying a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

Briton Paul Coppin, Coppin, 57, from Mildenhall, said aviation experts will testify in court that any information gathered by the plane spotters was freely available.

Richard Howitt, a British member of the European Parliament who is supporting the British plane spotters, said there was "a lot of nervousness and anxiety and fear" among the group.

Howitt is due in Kalamata on Tuesday, and will appear as a character witness during the trial. He said he will also give evidence of the facilities provided at British military air bases for plane spotters in an effort to explain the hobby to Greek authorities.

The group insists it did not violate a ban on photography at military installations and was only observing and taking notes about aircraft.