Family of North East man in Indian jail welcome cabinet reshuffle

Lisa, the sister of Ashington's Nick Dunn, says she hopes a new minister will be a turning point for her brother's case.

Published 18th Jul 2016

The sister of a North East man stuck in an Indian jail says the cabinet reshuffle could be a 'new opportunity' to get him home.

Lisa Dunn's brother Nick is one of six British men currently serving a sentence in an Indian for firearms offences, also including Nick Simpson from Catterick.

Earlier this month, the families of the men travelled to London to lobby Parliament to take action and bring the men home, 1000 days after they were first arrested.

On Sunday, the Foreign Office minister who had been handling the case was moved out of the cabinet by new Prime Minister Theresa May.

Hugo Swire MP had followed the case during his six year stint in the job, but was ousted in the cabinet reshuffle.

Lisa however, feels that this could be the chance for a fresh start.

She said: "I just really pray that they want to make a name for themselves and really do everything they can on some outstanding cases.

"Hopefully now this really will be actually a positive turning point.

"The new ministers now need to take some time to get fully up to speed on this case, however, we've got to try and use this opportunity of brand new ministers to really try to push this case forward now.

"Lobbying has given me confidence to approach the new MPs and not to accept 'we'll talk to our counterparts.'

"I'm not prepared to accept that 33 months down the line.

"They'll see a stronger and more experienced side of me now, 33 months on, than if they took on the case when it first began."