A THANKSGIVING service for the release of a charity worker from an Indian jail takes place this weekend.

Dozens of people are expected to flock to Saturday's event in London to celebrate the release of Ian Stillman.

A huge campaign was launched to free Mr Stillman, who is deaf and has only one leg. He was sentenced to ten years in jail in 2000 for a drug trafficking charge.

He was eventually released in December 2002. His sister Elspeth Dugdale, from Braishfield, near Romsey, was one of the leading campaigners behind getting Mr Stillman freed.

She said: "We have extended invitations to basically anybody who we could get in touch with who helped during the whole campaign.

"This is really the first, and probably the last, major thing we have done or will do. Ian has seen people locally and occasionally spoken at things but this will be the first celebratory event.

"For quite a long time he just didn't feel physically up to it.

" I think the whole post-release thing can be very disorientating."

Ian, a charity worker among the deaf in India, who was originally from Reading, was arrested when about 20kg of cannabis was found in a taxi he was travelling in.

He insisted he knew nothing about the drugs but - after a trial in Hindi when he was not allowed a sign language interpreter - he was sentenced to ten years in jail.

Mr Stillman was refused leave to appeal to India's Supreme Court but eventually released on grounds of clemency because of health reasons.

Mrs Dugdale said: "Saturday will be a really good opportunity to say thank you to as many people who helped us as possible."

The service is at Westminster Chapel, Buckingham Gate, London at 2.30pm.

For further details telephone Jo Pestell at Christian Deaf Link on 01268 743261 or e-mail general@CDLUK.org.