THE brother of one of 12 'planespotters' arrested for spying in Greece has hit out at Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw for not doing enough to resolve the situation.

And Steve Jenkins has been joined by other worried relations who accuse Mr Straw of complacency.

But today, Mr Straw denied failure to act and said: "I have been doing all I can to try and secure the early release of the 12 planespotters, but I cannot order the Greek judges to free them.

Steve, whose brother, Andrew, from York, is one of the arrested, said his worried family had to rely on news reports to find out how his brother was.

Steve, of Southwood Drive, Baxenden, said: "He should be doing something to acknowledge them. Maybe sending us a letter, or even ringing.

"At the moment the only information we have is through the television and the Press.

"My dad got something from the Government to say that it is not going to be sorted out yet and could be a few weeks at least -- if it is sorted out at all."

Speaking at Luton Airport after returning from a visit to Greece, the brother of another of those detained accused Mr Straw of complacency and and the father of another added: "It's time Jack Straw got his finger out and got them released."

The evidence against the planespotters is now being reviewed by Greek judges.

Mr Straw said: " I have spoken four times on the phone about them to Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou. The Foreign Office are doing everything possible to make sure that they are well looked after and that there will be an early decision on their case.

"However, I can no more interfere with Greek justice than I can with the British courts.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, whose constituents include Steve, said: "I raised this with Jack Straw at the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Commons.

"He said he had been in touch with his Greek counterpart. I am sure he is doing all he can to secure their release.

"However, putting on too much pressure could actually be counter-productive. We are dealing with a very different legal system in Greece from our own."