Sussex planespotter Chris Wilson was due to fly to Greece this weekend to begin the battle to clear his name.

Mr Wilson, 47, will join 11 other Britons when case 53 begins in the Greek courts on Monday in a bid to get their convictions for spying overturned.

Mr Wilson, of Erica Way, Horsham, was arrested and charged with spying while on a plane enthusiast's holiday in Greece in November last year.

Six of the spotters were convicted of spying and given three-year sentences. The other six, including Mr Wilson, a technical officer with BT, were found guilty of aiding and abetting and given one-year suspended sentences.

Mr Wilson was cautious about their chances, despite recent assurances from Greek prime minister Costas Simitis that an appeal would result in a "positive development".

He said: "We have had these promises before. They said we were going to have a fair and transparent trial but we patently didn't.

"It is still with trepidation that we go out there now. I'm more fortunate than the others who got three-year sentences because mine was suspended. We are in touch via email and I know they are worried.

"It's almost a year since we went out there. I've been doing this hobby for 35 years and I've never had a problem like this."

Mr Wilson said he still could not understand why they were arrested in the first place because it was the third such tour the company he was travelling with had organised.

He said: "By and large this ordeal has not really affected my job but it isn't nice having it hanging over me and I would like it cleared up and hopefully get back to normal."