spent more than a year in Saudi jail for having home-made wine

A British grandfather sentenced to a flogging for breaking Saudi Arabia's strict anti-alcohol laws said he is 'humbled' after being reunited with his family in the UK.

Karl Andree, 74, was threatened with a public lashing after he was caught with home-made wine in Jeddah.

He was put on a plane to Britain on Tuesday night after being freed from a Saudi prison, where he had been locked up since August last year.

Speaking after a tearful reunion with his family, the grandfather-of-seven said he is looking forward to 'rebuilding my life'.

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Karl Andree who was sentenced to 350 lashes in Saudi Arabia, has now been freed and returned to the UK. He is pictured after his return with daughter Kirsten and son Simon

'I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for such incredible support. Who knows if I would have got out of the Saudi jail or escaped 378 lashes in a public flogging without this backing?' he told The Sun.

'I am overwhelmed by the support and am grateful to Prime Minister David Cameron and the Government for stepping in.

'I am truly humbled and will never forget the love and support of so many people in getting me home.'

Mr Andree's flogging sentence was dropped after his family launched a campaign for his release on compassionate grounds because his wife Verity is dying of Alzheimer's and is in Britain receiving care.

He had lived in the Middle East for the last 25 years, having worked in the oil industry.

The reunion comes after a huge campaign to free the grandfather and spare him the brutal punishment

Mr Andree (pictured with family before he was jailed) has now returned to the UK to be reunited with relatives

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: 'Karl Andree was released from prison hours after my visit to Riyadh on October 28.

'I'm pleased that he has returned home to be reunited with his family, bringing to an end an extremely tough time for him and his family.

'I'm grateful to the Saudi Arabian government for their efforts in ensuring this positive outcome, following our discussions during my visit.

'It's through the strength and breadth of the relationship between our nations that we have been able to overcome a difficult issue like this.'

More than 230,000 people signed an online petition calling for the Prime Minister to intervene to stop Mr Andree - who has battled cancer and suffers from asthma - from facing the lashings.