WATCH: Boris Johnson vows to leave 'no stone unturned' over Chennai Six
Boris Johnson has said the UK will "leave no stone unturned" after facing fresh pressure to bring home six British men "languishing" 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 John Armstrong, from Wigton, Cumbria, Billy Irving, from Connel, Argyll and Bute, Nick Dunn, from Ashington, Northumberland, Ray Tindall from Chester, Paul Towers, from Yorkshire 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 he welcomes the raising of the issue with Mr Modi at the G20:
Mr Johnson replied:
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: