Army veteran appeals against Afghan conviction

An army veteran who claims he was wrongly jailed in Afghanistan will appeal against his sentence later today.

Father-of-three Bill Shaw, 52, from Leeds, was jailed for two years in March after being found guilty of bribery.

The former army officer had been working in the war-torn country as manager of a security firm at the time.

His family claim his trial, held in the Afghan capital Kabul, was a "sham".

They have said the charges against him were "totally misconceived" and "not proven".

During the trial Shaw said he paid for the release of two vehicles that had been impounded.

He explained that he believed he was paying a legitimate fine which he claimed was fully documented and approved in accordance with his company's procedures.

He insisted that he had not offered a bribe at any time.

Shaw, who was awarded the MBE, has now decided to appeal against the conviction.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said the appeal was expected to take place later today.