A FORMER Nunnery Wood High School pupil acquitted of spying in Greece is to have his bail money returned.

Wayne Groves was one of 11 British and two Dutch plane-spotters arrested on suspicion of espionage at an air show, in the southern Greek town of Kalamata, in 2001.

After five weeks in prison, they each paid about £9,000 bail so that they could go home before going back to Greece to stand trial in April 2002.

The 39-year-old, whose parents live in Kilbury Drive, Whittington, should receive reimbursement of the money in three weeks time.

But his mum Sheila said he had not yet had any official confirmation of this.

"Someone has told him that papers had been signed in Greece to release the money but he is still waiting to be told officially that he will get it back," she said.

Mrs Groves said the money had come from her son's savings and added that he would probably put it straight back in the bank.

David Davis MP, whose constituent Michael Bursell was one of the plane-spotters, welcomed the decision.

"Finally, after more than a year of delays, the Greek courts have agreed to repay £126,000 in bail owed to the British plane-spotters," he said.

"Since their acquittal of espionage charges last November, the group has been let down time and again by the Greek authorities.

"But following pressure from the Foreign Office and Parliament, the Greek court has now promised to pay the money in three weeks time.

"We will continue to monitor this situation to ensure there are no further, unacceptable delays," Mr Davis said.

Mr Groves, who now lives in Tamworth, Staffordshire, was given a one-year suspended jail sentence in April 2002 for aiding and abetting spying.

But his conviction was overturned on appeal last November.

The leader of the group, Paul Coppin, from Suffolk, has since started lobbying the EU for changes in the law to prevent others having to undergo the same ordeal.