A Gloucestershire man jailed for 14 years in Japan for drug offences he claimed he did not commit has begun his battle to overturn his conviction, his legal team have announced.

Nick Baker, 33, from Stroud, claims he was duped by a travelling companion after more than 40,000 ecstasy tablets and 2lb of cocaine was found in a suitcase he was carrying at the country's Narita Airport.

Lawyers representing the father of one, who was also fined £25,600 when sentenced last June, have said they will submit grounds for his appeal in the next few days at Tokyo's high court.

His mother, Iris Baker, 54, said her son was coping as best he could in a Japanese prison. She added: 'He's struggling because he would obviously like to be home and it's also very cold in Japan.

'He's got the start of frostbite on his knuckles and fingertips and he's also in solitary confinement.

'He doesn't get to speak to family, he can only write letters, one a day, and he's just been through seven days where he's had no contact with anybody because it's New Year holidays in Japan and he wouldn't have had any post.'

His family, who say he was denied a fair trial, last year handed a petition of more than 1,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street asking Tony Blair to act on Mr Baker's behalf.

Mr Baker claims throughout his trial the suitcase containing the drugs belonged to a travelling companion who fled the airport when he was arrested.

The man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - was later arrested in Belgium where he is now facing trial for similar offences.

Mr Baker's Japanese lawyer Shunji Miyake said the grounds for the appeal would be partly based on the fact his client's companion now faces trial in Belgium for allegedly smuggling drugs and this case had strong similarities with the Briton's case.

FOR more Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset and Wiltshire news, order a regular copy of the Sunday Independent. FIRST. BEST. EVERY SUNDAY...