Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Northumberland news Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A tearful sister has told of her family’s desperate plea for the release of her pirate-hunting brother from an Indian jail.

Nick Dunn, 27, from Ashington, Northumberland, was working for AdvanFort – a maritime security company – when he and his colleagues were detained by Indian authorities in Chennai, five weeks ago.

The six men, who are former British Army soldiers, had been waiting on the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, an American-owned support ship, preparing for their next mission.

The men were accused of illegally possessing weapons on their support vessel while operating in Indian waters – and have languished in jail ever since.

Last night Nick’s sister Lisa Dunn, 34, revealed the family haven’t spoken to him in weeks and says they fear for his well-being.

On October 17 Nick called Lisa informing her that the authorities were undertaking checks on their documentation and that it was simply routine.

Lisa said: “Nick phoned me the day before they were all arrested. He telephoned our mum and then me saying, ‘It’s absolutely nothing to worry about, this kind of thing sometimes happens as the authorities just like to check the documentation is in order. It’ll get sorted out tomorrow.’”

Nick, who served with the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland, phoned back several times keeping his family informed, before making his last call in the early hours the following morning.

Lisa said: “He phoned a couple of times that day, and then he called at 2.40am on the 18th.

“He said to me, ‘It looks like it’s not getting sorted and we’re all being arrested. I don’t know when I’m going to next speak to you again. I love you.’ And that’s the last time I heard from him.”

Lisa said that her mum, Margaret Dunn, 59, is doing her best to cope with her son’s unknown circumstances, but believes the British Government should be doing more to help.

She said: “She’s taking it really hard. He’s her youngest son, her youngest child. But the support is what’s getting us through it.

“We’ve been in touch with the Foreign Office who have been to see the guys, and we’ve had two letters back from Nick through them.”

Describing Nick as a lovable joker, Lisa said he was doing a job he loved, and all he wanted to do in life was to protect people from harm and serve his country.

“Nick and the other men fought for their country, and yet it seems their own government won’t fight for them. It seems like they’ve just been left there.”

Lisa, who has one other brother Paul, 36, stresses the most worrying part is thinking about their mental state, and said that while she and her family have each other, they have no idea about the mindset of Nick and his colleagues.

The families of the men have been in constant contact with each other throughout the ordeal and have been “a rock” for Lisa and her mother. And an online petition has been set up, outlining the families’ worries and asking for help from Foreign Secretary William Hague.

The petition was created by Yvonne MacHugh, 25, of Connel, north west Scotland, whose boyfriend – 33-year-old Billy Irving – is among the detained men. It has now gathered more than 25,000 signatures. It calls for more help from the Government to get the men home in time for Christmas.

Lisa added; “We’ve got each other for support, but we don’t even know how they are coping out there.

“All the families are supporting each other through it, and we’re getting support from the general public and our own family. The support from the online petition has been overwhelming and that keeps us going.”

The family have also had the support of their MP, Ian Lavery, who has also been in touch with the Foreign Office on their behalf. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the detention of six British nationals from the ship, MV Seaman Guard Ohio, on October 18 in India.

“We are providing consular assistance and are in touch with the local authorities.”

To see the online petition, go to www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/william-hague-help-free-the-6-british-ex-soldiers-from-indian-prison