FORMER Chancellor Lord Lamont has given his backing to convicted plane-spotter Wayne Groves.

Lord Lamont told a House of Lords debate the former pupil of Nunnery Wood High School, Worcester, was a victim of the "vagaries of Greek justice".

He urged Ministers to give the spotters "all the help they can" in the battle to clear their names.

Bachelor Mr Groves, whose parents live in Whittington, was convicted with 11 other Britons on spying charges by a Greek court last month.

Along with five other members of the party, the 38-year-old was handed a one-year suspended sentence for aiding and abetting.

A further six, convicted of spying, were sentenced to three years in jail but were freed pending an appeal.

During the debate, the plane-spotters also won support from Lord Goodhart, who is a trustee of Fair Trials Abroad.

"There are serious concerns about the procedure in this case, including for example, the fact that the hearing lasted for more or less a continuous period of 14 hours," added Lord Lamont.

The Greek Embassy has insisted the trial of 12 British spotters, arrested at a military air show in Kalamata last November, was fair.

But Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Prime Minister Tony Blair described the trial as "disproportionate".

Government Minister Lord Rooker said the spotters were receiving "full consular support".

They have been invited to Westminster, along with their families, to discuss the case with Mr Straw next Thursday.

Mr Groves now lives in Tamworth, Staffordshire.