SIX former soldiers, including two from North Yorkshire and the North-East, who worked on an anti-piracy ship have been jailed for five years in India over weapons charges.

The men were arrested in October 2013 after 35 semi-automatic weapons and 5,700 rounds of ammunition were found on board the MV Seaman Guard Ohio.

The charges were dropped in July 2014, but the Indian authorities appealed against the decisionand have now won their case.

Many supporters of the soldiers, who include married father-of-two Nicholas Simpson, of Catterick Garrison, and Nick Dunn, from Ashington, Northumberland, had been expecting the charges to finally be dropped again.

One of the ex-soldiers, Billy Irving, posted on his Facebook page: "All weapon licences were given into court (originals), all ship certificates were given to court, all passports n seaman books, everything was given and judge has told us we are guilty and we are going straight to prison for five years."

All 35 sailors and guards on the boat received five-year sentences and were ordered to pay 3,000 rupees (£30).

Indian authorities had claimed the ship was intercepted for illegally sailing in Indian waters, but the Madras High Court quashed the charges last July after it was established the ship was granted permission to enter Tuticorin port to shelter from a cyclone.

After his arrest, Mr Simpson's wife, Tracy, said she and their sons, Jai, and Sam, had been devastated by 44-year-old former sergeant's detention.