PRIME Minister Tony Blair has turned down the Evening Press's request for a meeting to discuss the future of deaf charity worker Ian Stillman.

The newspaper asked him if he would meet political reporter Adam Nichols to receive a petition signed by more than 5,000 readers.

But, in a letter written by a member of staff in Downing Street's communications unit, the Evening Press's editor Liz Page was told the request would instead be dealt with by a Foreign Office minister.It read: "The Prime Minister has asked me to arrange for a minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to reply to you direct."

But, despite contacting Downing Street several times to check the progress of the request, nothing has been heard from that minister more than a month after it was made.

Ian, 51, whose parents live in Tadcaster Road, York, and who had a leg amputated following a road accident, moved to India 27 years ago and set up a charity working with the country's deaf.

He was jailed last year after being convicted of cannabis possession, a charge he has always denied.

The Evening Press began campaigning for his release after he was refused a sign language translator at his trial, effectively excluding him from taking any part.

Human rights lawyer Stephen Jakobi has called it the worst miscarriage of justice he has dealt with.

The campaign for his freedom has the support of 230 MPs, as well as the Archbishop of York.

Mrs Page said: "We are obviously disappointed that the Prime Minister will not receive this important petition.

"We await with interest the response of the Foreign Office minister."

Meanwhile, Ian's family are attempting to secure a Presidential pardon for Ian.

Files concerning his case have been handed into the British Foreign Office, which needs to support the call for a pardon before it can be lodged with the Indian Government.

Ian's brother-in-law Jerry Dugdale is planning to travel to India in the next few days to deliver paperwork to lawyers in the country.

* The Evening Press petition can be signed at offices in York and Malton, where multiple copies can be collected.

Click here to go to our Free Ian Stillman section

Updated: 08:46 Tuesday, July 02, 2002