SIX British ex-soldiers imprisoned in India, including a man from Pocklington, could find out tomorrow (Monday, November 27) whether they will be home in time for Christmas.

The so-called Chennai Six - Paul Towers, 54, of Pocklington, and Nicholas Simpson, 47, of Catterick, Nick Dunn, 31, of Ashington, Northumberland, Billy Irving, 37, of Oban, Scotland, Ray Tindall, 42, of Chester, and John Armstrong, of Wigton, Cumbria - were arrested in October 2013 after the Indian coastguard boarded their vessel, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, and arrested them for taking weapons into India's territorial waters.

The charges were initially quashed but later reinstated and the men were sentenced to five years jail in January 2017, and their families should find out today the result of their latest appeal, which saw captain of the vessel, Dudnyk Valentyn of Ukraine, repatriated.

Yvonne MacHugh, partner of Billy Irving, said she was expecting the unexptected, but "the best outcome would be he's home before Christmas".

She said: "They'll be staying grounded and not expecting much, they're just so tired now. I would just like the judge to look at why these men have been put in prison for all these years.

"They have never harmed anyone, they've only ever tried to protect people. What good are they doing in keeping these men from their children and wives? If they had any morals at all they would see this case is complete and utter nonsense."