This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/bristol/8530062.stm

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
UK plane-spotters bailed in India UK plane-spotters 'admit offence'
(about 4 hours later)
Two UK plane-spotters charged with intercepting communications in India have had their court case adjourned until 3 March. Two UK plane-spotters have admitted illegally monitoring aircraft in India, the MP fighting for their return home said.
Stephen Hampton and Steven Ayres, from Bristol, have been released on bail but are not allowed to leave the country. Stephen Hampton, 46 and Steven Ayres, 56, both from Bristol, have been released on bail after being charged with intercepting communications.
They appeared before an Indian court charged under the Telegraph Act. MP Dan Morris said the men had pleaded guilty to a breach under the Telegraph Act at Patiala House Court in Delhi.
Under the act, persons unlawfully intercepting official messages could face a year in prison or a fine of 500 rupees (£7). The men cannot leave India and their case has been adjourned until 3 March.
The pair were held at Delhi International Airport last Monday. 'Weight lifted'
Wansdyke MP Mr Norris, who is in close contact with the families, said the men had now been released from a detention centre.
Railway workers Mr Hampton, from Keynsham, and Mr Ayres, from St George, sparked suspicion after asking a Delhi hotel for a room overlooking a runway.Railway workers Mr Hampton, from Keynsham, and Mr Ayres, from St George, sparked suspicion after asking a Delhi hotel for a room overlooking a runway.
They were carrying an air traffic control scanner, a laptop, binoculars and cameras.They were carrying an air traffic control scanner, a laptop, binoculars and cameras.
'Primitive existence' Breaches of India's Telegraph Act carry sentences of up to three years in prison.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it could not speculate on the likely outcome of the trial but confirmed the men were receiving consular assistance. Mr Norris said: "They pleaded guilty to this breach under the Telegraph Act, an outdated colonial law, but the judge wants to know more about this scanner and whether or not you can listen in to the conversations between pilots and air traffic control which apparently you can't.
Mr Hampton's mother Eileen Cock said he had travelled all over the world photographing aircraft. "All this equipment does is pick up a beacon in every aircraft which identifies its make and the airline that runs it, and its full number so they can track them around the world."
Mr Hampton has photographed planes all over the world, his mother said Mr Ayres is a work colleague of Mr Hampton
His MP, Dan Norris, has phoned Mr Hampton and said he was becoming more anxious over his predicament. Mr Hampton's mother Eileen Cock said she was relieved the men were no longer being held in custody.
Speaking of the prison conditions his constituent faced, Mr Norris said: "It's a fairly primitive existence. "I feel a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders, at least for a few days," she said.
"There's just cold running water and fairly primitive loos and he's crowded in with between 30 and 50 other people, none of whom speak English, so it's not the greatest situation for him. "I'm hoping they will be able to come home now but at least they will be able to get some proper accommodation and catch up on some sleep so they can think straight about what is happening."
"It's adding to his pressure knowing that people are speculating about his release when in fact he's still there." She said her son had photographed planes all over the world.
Mr Norris added that, even though it was a minor offence, the judge could make an example of them and raise the fine as punishment.
The arrests happened during a security crackdown in the wake of a bomb blast in the Indian city of Pune, the country's first such explosion in over a year.The arrests happened during a security crackdown in the wake of a bomb blast in the Indian city of Pune, the country's first such explosion in over a year.