Sussex planespotter Christopher Wilson's hopes of freedom from a Greek jail were hit by a last-minute hitch today.

All 12 of the British jet enthusiasts held for five weeks accused of spying were expected to be freed today.

But their release proved as dramatic as the decision by the Greek authorities to detain them in the first place.

The nightmare for the 11 men and one woman appeared to be finally coming to an end around noon British-time as the first of the party began walking to freedom.

Mr Wilson, from Horsham, was not among them.

Those who were freed were trip organiser Paul Coppin, 57, from Mildenhall, Suffolk, and Wayne Groves, 38, of Tamworth. Two Dutchmen were also released.

But then prison governor Christos Lambadas said "bureaucratic problems" were hampering the release of the other nine men. It remained unclear if they would released later today.

Mr Lambadas said: "We are all working to get them out today."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said consulate staff were working hard to speed up the release of the remaining Britons.

She confirmed there were "procedural delays" with the paperwork but remained confident the rest of the detained plane spotters would still be released today.

However, she also accepted that as the afternoon wore on there is a risk of Greek authority offices closing for the day.

She added: "If that becomes an issue we will do everything we can to extend the hours to try and release them today."

Wife Julie, 41, said her husband had remained positive about coming home.

Receptionist Mrs Wilson, of Erica Way, has told The Argus her husband had never sounded down but was fed up and frustrated.

She has maintained the innocence of her husband and the other 11 prisoners and dismissed the accusation of spying as "utterly ridiculous".

She described her husband of 11 years as a quiet, supportive, sensitive man who loved walking, music and going to the pub.

Mr Wilson was passionate about planespotting and often went to Gatwick to watch jets and to note their numbers.

His wife, who has spoken to him most days, said: "He has been interested in planespotting since he was a young lad. He has been to the States and other trips."

His conditions in prison had been described as filthy, with only a thin, dirty mattress to lie on and a fork to eat with.

EasyJet airline has offered to fly the Britons home free of charge.

Once they have been released, the 12 must return to Greece next year to stand trial on a charge of gathering secret information after allegedly taking photos at a military base.