A FORMER Nunnery Wood High School pupil is today appearing in a Greek court charged with espionage.

Wayne Groves is one of 12 British aviation enthusiasts arrested last Thursday accused of taking photographs of a military air base.

But his father Donald said his 37-year-old son was "pretty confident" he would soon be released.

"He rang me last night and he's okay," said Mr Groves, speaking from the family home in Kilbury Drive, Whittington, today.

"They're being treated all right.

"They're appearing in court this morning, at about 10am in Greek time.

"It's an organised trip and he has been on these many times before. He's been all over the world."

Wayne Groves, who was a student at Nunnery Wood High School but now lives in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and is a manager within the rail network, had been on a plane-spotting tour in the south-eastern town of Kalamata when the 12-strong group was arrested.

They had just left a public event to mark a Greek air force holiday at a military airfield.

"He was in open airspace when they were arrested and they had no cameras with them," added his father.

"So I think he's a little bit surprised that he's been arrested."

The tour was part of a £650 week-long trip organised by Touchdown Tours, due to return to the UK today.

The company arranges regular excursions for military aviation enthusiasts, visiting operational airfields and bases.

Paul Coppin, from Mildenhall, Suffolk, runs the firm and is also being held in Greece.

Aviation experts said Greece was well known for strict security around its air bases and warned it was essential to seek permission before taking photographs.

"It's essential on overseas trips to military airbases to pay particularly strict attention to what has been agreed with the authorities," said Malcolm Fillmore, chairman of Air-Britain.