Twelve British plane-spotters found guilty of spying in Greece have called on Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to ensure they get a fair retrial.

The group visited Mr Straw at the Foreign Office on Thursday, to ask him to lobby the Greek Government and make sure they receive a fair hearing at their appeal.

The 12 have accused the Greek security service of having "improper influence" on their court case in Kalamata last month.

They will return to Greece later in the year for the appeal hearing.

We will continue to provide whatever assistance we are able to the group

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw

Ahead of the meeting, Stephen Jakobi of Fair Trials Abroad - the campaign group backing the plane-spotters - said they would be urging Mr Straw to do "everything in his power" to get a "level playing field" at the appeal.

He said: "I was present throughout the evidence stage of the Kalamata trial and it was clear that Greek security forces had somehow exerted improper influence on the court."

'Obvious' interference

He said under Greek law, the appeal could be decided by way of a retrial as the original trial had been held without a jury present.

After the meeting, Mr Straw said it had been "useful" for all concerned.

"I have taken a personal interest in this case from the start, and understand how distressing it must be for the group that their ordeal did not end with the trial in April," he said.

The sentencing came as a shock

"We have always worked hard on their behalf, raising their case many times at a high level.

"I told them that we will continue to provide whatever assistance we are able to the group."

Plane-spotter Steven Rush, who was found guilty of aiding and abetting, said it had been "obvious" the Greek defence ministry or security service had interfered in the original trial.

"The verdict should never have been reached so there must have been influence brought to bear to reach that verdict."

The trial went badly wrong because there was someone pulling strings

Plane-spotter Lesley Coppin

Another of the group, Antoni Adamiak, said: "We felt that the convictions in no way reflected what had happened in the courtroom."

And Lesley Coppin said: "The trial went badly wrong because there was someone pulling strings.

"We are asking this time for senior government intervention to ensure that there is no outside influence that is going to affect the judicial system."

The group have launched a trust fund to raise money for their legal costs, which have already topped �100,000.

Air show

The group of Britons and two Dutchmen were arrested at an air show in southern Greece in November last year.

Last month eight of the 14 were sentenced to three years' imprisonment, pending an appeal.

Six others were also found guilty of aiding and abetting, and given one-year suspended sentences.

Those found guilty of espionage were:

• Paul Coppin, 45, of Mildenhall, Suffolk
• Peter Norris, 52, of Uxbridge, west London
• Antoni Adamiak, 37, of London
• Andrew Jenkins, 32, from York
• Graham Arnold, 38, from Ottershaw, Surrey
• Gary Fagan, 30, from Kegworth, Leicestershire
• Patrick Dirksen, 27, from Eindhoven, Netherlands
• Frank Mink, 28, from Den Helder, Netherlands

Those found guilty of aiding and abetting are:

• Lesley Coppin, 51, Mildenhall, Suffolk
• Michael Bursell, 47, of Swanland, near Hull
• Michael Keane, 57, of Dartford, Kent
• Steven Rush, 38, from Caterham, Surrey
• Christopher Wilson, 46, from Gatwick, West Sussex
• Wayne Groves, 38, from Tamworth, Staffordshire