The 12 British plane spotters convicted of spying-related charges by a Greek court arrived home today, vowing to clear their names.

Among them was a Sussex man, Christopher Wilson, 46, of Erica Way, Horsham. He was handed a 12-month suspended sentence by the court in Kalamata.

Six of the plane spotters - who were arrested near a Greek air force base last November - were yesterday sentenced to three years in jail after being found guilty of spying. Two Dutchmen received the same sentences.

Six more Britons, including Mr Wilson, received one-year suspended sentences after being found guilty of aiding and abetting them.

Lawyers launched an immediate appeal and the judge ruled they would be allowed home pending that hearing.

The plane spotters left court in shock yesterday. Relatives and friends said they were stunned and angry at the verdicts and vowed to fight to prove their innocence.

Mr Wilson, a BT technical officer, who has been married to Julie, 41, for 11 years, said: "I'm going home feeling stunned and numb. We have a point to make though. We are all innocent but we have been found guilty."

Arriving back at Luton airport today, tour organiser Paul Coppin, 45, of Mildenhall, Suffolk said they were prepared go to the European courts to seek justice.

He said: "I now have a criminal record - how can I go on with my life with that hanging over me?

"Obviously we are going to appeal and if we have to take it all the way to the European Court then that is what we will do."

The group, which has spent £17,000 each in administrative expenses and legal costs since their arrest, told the court they were pursuing an innocent hobby and gathering information readily available in books and on the internet.

They were originally charged with planning to pass the information on to an enemy of Greece, which carried a maximum prison sentence of 25 years, and spent 37 days in a Greek prison before being bailed.

That was later reduced to a "misdemeanour" charge of espionage, alleging they gathered the information but not suggesting they meant to give it to a foreign government.

Defence lawyer Yannis Zacharias said the appeal could take up to two years and would probably be heard in Kalamata but by different judges.

The Foreign Office issued a statement saying Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had always felt the Greek response to the case was "disproportionate".

Plane spotter Peter Norris, 52, of Uxbridge, west London, said: "It's a stitch-up. This was always going to happen.

"We are getting so used to Greek justice we expect it to go wrong every time."

The Britons found guilty of spying were Paul Coppin, 45, from Mildenhall, Suffolk; Andrew Jenkins, 32, from York; Mr Norris; Gary Fagan, 30, from Kegworth, Leicestershire; Antoni Adamiak, 37, from London and Graham Arnold, 38, from Ottershaw, Surrey.

Those found guilty of aiding and abetting were Mr Coppin's wife Lesley, 51; Michael Bursell, 47, of Swanland, near Hull; Michael Keane, 57, of Dartford, Kent; Steven Rush, from Caterham, Surrey; Mr Wilson and Wayne Groves, 38, from Tamworth, Staffs.

Neighbours in the cul-de-sac where the Wilsons live were amazed.

James Peterson, 52, said: "I can't believe it. They are such a nice couple."

Phyllis Edmonds, 58, said: "It's just laughable. I can't believe it."