Minister meets six UK seaman held in India with appeal update

A Foreign Office minister has met six British seamen, including three from the North East, who have been detained in India since 2013 to give them an update on their appeal.

Mark Field, the UK's minister for Asia, visited the "Chennai Six" at Puzhal prison in Chennai on Wednesday.

The three men from the North East are:

  • Nick Dunn, from Ashington, in Northumberland

  • Nicholas Simpson, from Catterick, in North Yorkshire

  • Paul Towers, from near York

Nick Dunn, from Ashington in Northumberland, is one of six UK seaman detained in India Credit: Family photo

All had been working for US maritime company AdvanFort providing anti-piracy protection when their ship, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, 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 in 2016 they were convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.

The men have always protested their innocence and appealed against the charges, maintaining they held appropriate licences for the weapons.

Mr Field, alongside consular staff, also checked on the men's welfare and delivered family messages during the visit.

Theresa May raised the issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit earlier this year and the Foreign Secretary raised it with his Indian counterpart in July.

The other 29 crew members, from Ukraine, Estonia and India, were also imprisoned.