SIX British war heroes rotting in an Indian prison for a crime they did not commit begged yesterday: “Please help us, we’re desperate.”

The ex-soldiers, with a combined 74 years of service, were jailed in Ja­n­u­ary after being detained as they protected ships from Somali pirates. Indian officials accused them of im- porting guns for jihadists, even when told their weapons were legally held.

15 Ex-Para Nick Dunn speaks during a secret interview inside Chennai Central Prison Credit: Chris Eades

They are now serving five years in Chennai. Ex-Para Nick Dunn pleaded: “We need help. Without our military training, we’d have fallen apart.”

One of six ex-soldiers wrongly jailed in India urged the UK Government to stand by them yesterday — “as we stood by Queen and Country when we served”.

Nick Dunn, who fought militants in Iraq and Afg­h­anistan while proudly wearing the uniform of 1 Para, was caged with five pals over gun-running claims.

15 Billy Irving, Ray Tindall, Nick Dunn and Nicholas Simpson were wrongly jailed Credit: Chris Eades

But the Brits insist they were involved in an operation to protect ships from Somali pirates — and their weapons were lawfully held to carry out their jobs.

All six were first detained by coastguard officials, then handed five-year terms in January when a court ruled they had failed to prove they were not importing guns to arm jihadist terror gangs.

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With the Government unable to secure their release, The Sun travelled to Chennai’s grim Puzhal Central Prison to visit the men — taking vital supplies including teabags, tomato ketchup, sweets and toilet paper.

And we secretly filmed Nick, 30, make a desperate plea for help from the outside world.

Now known as Prisoner 6158 and wearing prison-issue white T-shirt and shorts, he said: “We are desperate, we need help.

“It is mental torture to be thrown in jail for a crime you didn’t commit.

15 Paul Towers has been thrown into jail for a crime he didn't commit Credit: Chris Eades

“If it wasn’t for our military training we would have fallen apart.

“The Government needs to stand by us now like we stood by Queen and Country when we served.”

Nick, from Ashington, Northumberland, is jailed alongside John Armstrong, 29, of Wigton, Cumbria, Ray Tindall, 41, of Chester, Nicholas Simpson, 46, of Catterick, North Yorks, Paul Towers, 52, of Pocklington, East Yorks and Billy Irving, 35, of Oban, Scotland.

Between them they have 74 years of military service — inclu­ding tours of Iraq and Afghanistan — and have been shot at by jihadists and blown up by IEDs.

15 A guard at the gate to Chennai Central Prison where the six war heroes are held Credit: Chris Eades

Vast Puzhal Central Prison houses 3,000 inmates including murderers and rapists in Chen­nai, the sprawling southern India city ­formerly known as Madras.

Twenty-foot concrete walls surround compounds where 490 lifers and 50 foreigners are doing time.

The men’s toilet is a hole in the ground, they are given no toilet roll and sleep on concrete floors.

They have suffered dys­en­tery in 50C tempe­r­atures and had to buy their own ­mosquito nets.

Their daily diet consists of a boiled egg for breakfast, a one-egg ome­lette for lunch and a small piece of chic­ken with a few vegetables for dinner.

15 Nicholas Simpson is now housed in the twenty-foot concrete wall compound Credit: Chris Eades

The heroes — supported by 20 MPs and Capt Richard Phillips, whose hijack by pirates was turned into Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips — plan to appeal.

But the Indian justice system is notoriously slow.

Suspects can spend a decade on remand only to then see charges dropped.

Nick and his pals were among a 35-strong crew of Brits, Indians, Estonians and a Ukrainian on board US-owned anti-piracy vessel MV Seaman Guard Ohio as it was detained in October 2013.

15 Lisa Dunn, sister to Nick Dunn, is petitioning for his release Credit: Array

Coastguards accused them of straying into Indian waters without permission as they headed for emergency supplies.

When officials discovered 35 firearms and 5,700 rounds of ammunition on board they declared they had busted a jihadists’ gun-running operation.

The men’s pleas that the weapons were lawfully held for anti-piracy purposes fell on deaf ears — even though their paperwork, issued by the UK Government, was in order.

We’ve spent years fighting the very jihadists they accused us of helping

Nick said of the arrest: “They boarded us, took our passports and made us follow them into port.

“It was scary. They said it was a floating armoury and we were selling guns to terrorists.

“It was crazy.”

RIOTS AND MURDER PUZHAL Central Jail houses 3,000 men and women and was dubbed Asia’s largest prison when it opened in 2006. Authorities boast that it is a model prison but human rights activists have complained of overcrowding and a lack of medical facilities after a number of prisoners died. Convicted Islamic terrorists rioted there just months before the men arrived. They used iron bars and home-made knives to attack guards, taking two hostage. And in 2009 a gangland hitman was murdered in a row over an illicit mobile phone racket. Two other inmates slashed his neck with a piece of metal. A former inmate said prisoners had to clean their toilets with mud at times as there was no water.

After more than two years of legal wrangling the six were jailed.

Nick said: “The phone call to my mother to tell her I was going to jail is the hardest I’ve ever made. I could hardly speak through my tears and she was screaming.

“To suggest we were a threat to national security is a joke.

“We’ve spent years fighting the very jihadists they accused us of helping.

15 Ray Tindall was handed five-year terms for importing guns to jihadis Credit: Array

“We are all decent, law-abiding blokes trying to earn an honest ­living but we’ve ended up in here.

“It can get to 50C and doesn’t cool down much at night.

“We have a ceiling fan but it often doesn’t work because of power cuts.

"The food is awful.

“We would starve if it wasn’t for emergency food packages sent from home.

“We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who sends us stuff — and to The Sun for bringing us more supplies.”

A 375,000-name petition handed into Downing Street by relatives later failed to secure their release. The men were working for American firm AdvanFort.

15 John Armstrong is among the six detained in the tough Indian prison Credit: Chris Eades

The company has not paid their wages or met their legal fees since their arrest.

Nick’s MP Ian Lavery called the decision to jail the six “absolutely bizarre”.

Billy’s MP Brendan O’Hara branded it “an absolute disgrace”.

Nick’s 37-year-old sister Lisa, a police civilian worker, said: “These men risked their lives to help keep Britain safe for the rest of us.

“Now they need the favour returned.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Our staff remain in regular contact with all six men and are continuing to support them and their families, working to make sure their welfare is protected in prison.

15 Nick and sister Lisa . . . 'these men risked their lives, help them', she says Credit: Chris Eades

“We cannot interfere with India’s independent legal system, but we will continue efforts to make sure this case is resolved swiftly.

“Ministers will continue to raise this case at the highest levels.” More than £460million is spent every year by shipping firms on armed guards to protect vessels from Somali pirates.

Many are former soldiers attracted by the high wages paid to on-ship security guards because of the huge risks involved.

At their height in 2011, 5,000 pirates were operating off the coast of Somalia, earning £112million a year in ransom payments with 150 attacks on ships.

Last year there were just nine attacks on vessels by pirates and none were successful.

How to help: A petition to free the men has 375,000 signatures and a Just Giving appeal to meet legal fees has raised £36k. Details of how to sign the petition and contribute to the fund can be found at www.freesgo6.co.uk

Nick Dunn: Served in Afghanistan

15 Nick Dunn . . . pictured in Indian jail Credit: Chris Eades

BRAVE Nick Dunn served with 1 Para for six years before leaving in 2010 to work for private security firms.

He and two other British soldiers cheated death in 2007 when a blast blew apart the armoured Land Rover in which they were tra­velling in Afghanistan.

Nick, pictured in jail, was hurled out of the wreckage, but without hesitating ran to check his comrades were OK.

Luckily all three escaped with minor injuries and were taken back to base.

Billy Irving: Served in Iraq

15 Billy Irving . . . has only seen his baby son for the duration of a few weeks Credit: Chris Eades

FORMER Para Billy Irving has missed almost every day of his 18-month-old son’s life while locked up in India.

Fiancee Yvonne MacHugh, 27, fell pregnant while visiting 35-year-old Billy as he was on bail awaiting trial.

Baby William has seen him for only a few weeks. Pharmacy worker Yvonne said: “It’s been sheer hell, a nightmare. It’s bad enough Bill being jailed for a crime he didn’t commit — but to miss his son growing up is worse.”

Billy did tours of Kenya, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan as a 1 Para corporal. He is still with res­erve unit 4 Para.

John Armstrong: Served in Afghanistan

15 John Armstrong . . . lost more than three stone in jail

JOHN served with 3 Para, including a six-month tour of Afghanistan before getting a job in anti-piracy security.

He has lost more than 3st in jail, is now stick-thin and has been taken to hospital with infections.

His family spend £60 a week sending him food parcels. Sister Joanne Tomlinson, 30, of Wigton, Cumbria, said: “It costs a fortune but what’s the alternative? We are not going to let him starve.

“All John wants is to come home, move back in with Mum and Dad. The sentence was an utter shock. Our health has taken a bashing.”

Ray Tindall: Elite sniper

15 Ray Tindall . . . divorced dad-of-three Credit: Array

MUM Carole Edmonds says she sobs every night for jailed son Ray Tindall.

The 60-year-old had no idea he had given up his job as a butcher to work on an anti-piracy security vessel until she saw news reports of his arrest.

Carole, of Hull, said: “I struggle to sleep through worry. I’m very angry our Government has not done more.”

Divorced dad-of-three Ray, an elite sniper, did 12 years with the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regim­ent before leaving to train LA cops.

He later joined up again and served with the 1st Battalion Welsh Regiment.

Paul Towers: 13 years' service

15 Paul Towers . . . Son Jordan has set up a Facebook page called Free the Beard

BEARDED Paul served for 13 years with 1 Para before working as a prison officer for 20 years.

Son Jordan, 22, has set up a Facebook page called Free the Beard in a bid to secure his dad’s release.

Paul’s wife Ann, 56, is a former sergeant. She said when her husband was jailed: “I’m devastated.

Between Paul, myself and son we have served Queen and country for nearly 65 years.

“So I’m hoping that now this crushing decision has come that they’ll step up.

“There have been talks but we need something more robust.”

Nicholas Simpson: Army for 24 years

15 Nicholas Simpson . . . wife is living a 'nightmare' without him Credit: Chris Eades

NICHOLAS, a former sergeant in the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, was in the Army for 24 years.

He had worked in maritime security for a year before his arrest.

Wife Tracy, 45, lives with their two young sons in the garrison town of Catterick, North Yorks.

She has said: “It has been terrible, devastating, a complete nightmare.

“The boys are gutted.

“It is a long time to be away from your family.

“We miss him very much.

“These are just normal guys doing a job, they belong at home with us.”