Family of Ashington soldier in India 'sceptical' of Boris Johnson calls

The family of ex-Ashington soldier Nick Dunn say they welcome calls from Boris Johnson to help bring the 'Chennai Six' home - but until something changes they are 'just words'.

Lisa Dunn spoke to us after Boris Johnson said the UK will leave no stone unturned'' after facing fresh pressure to bring home the six British menlanguishing'' in an Indian jail.

Conservative former Foreign Office minister Sir Hugo Swire said it is time the ex-soldiers, referred to as the Chennai Six'', were brought home and suggested the Foreign Secretary meets the chief minister in the state where they are being held to find a solution.

Labour MP Christian Matheson also appealed for help, telling Mr Johnson to do a deal'' and ensure he can have a pint with one of those affected who he represents as City of Chester MP.

The men involved are Nick Dunn, from Ashington, Billy Irving, from Connel, Argyll and Bute, Ray Tindall from Chester, Paul Towers, from Yorkshire, John Armstrong, from Wigton, Cumbria, and Nicholas Simpson, from Catterick, North Yorkshire.

They were working for US maritime company AdvanFort providing anti-piracy protection when their ship, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, which had a crew of 35, was detained and weapons found.

They were arrested in October 2013 on illegal weapons charges, which were dropped in the following months, but an appeal followed from the Indian authorities and the men were later convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.

The case has been branded a miscarriage of justice while Prime Minister Theresa May raised their plight with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent G20 summit.

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Hugo told Mr Johnson: Whilst I welcome the fact the Prime Minister raised the issue of the Chennai Six with Mr Modi at the G20, can I urge you to focus your efforts on the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and to seek a meeting with her urgently.

It's almost four years since our boys have been languishing in jail there, I visited them myself.

But it's time, frankly, that they were brought home.''

Mr Johnson replied: You are absolutely right. You suggest an interesting avenue for further work. I will certainly look at the possibility of talking to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Whether we will be any more successful with her in making our points, I will ascertain, but we will leave no stone unturned.''

Mr Matheson earlier told the Commons: Another Foreign Office Questions and still my constituent Ray Tindall and the other men of the Chennai Six are incarcerated in India.

Will the minister pick up the phone to their opposite numbers in India, do a deal to get the men deported, so Ray and I can have a pint in Chester before the summer is out?''

Mr Johnson said he appreciated Mr Matheson's persistence, adding he has personally raised the case with his Indian counterparts on several occasions.

He added: What they say to me is they cannot interfere in their own courts system, any more than we can interfere in our own courts system.

That is where the matter currently stands but I wish to assure you that we continue to raise it on your behalf and on behalf of your constituents.''