CONVICTED gun runner Peter Bleach was released from prison in India yesterday after serving eight years for illegal arms dealing.

The Foreign Office confirmed that the 52-year-old from North Yorkshire was released from jail yesterday morning and was being looked after by consular staff at the British High Commission in New Delhi.

It is not known when he will return to Britain, the spokeswoman said.

Home Secretary David Blunkett appealed for his release during an official visit to India last week.

India's deputy leader indicated then that Mr Bleach, from Fylingthorpe, near Whitby, would be released soon.

Mainak De, a High Commission official in Calcutta, saw Mr Bleach after his release.

He said: "He is delighted. Absolutely ecstatic."

Mr Bleach was arrested in December 1995 with five Latvian air crew on charges relating to an illegal arms drop in India.

All six were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2000.

The Latvians were released four years ago prompting Mr Blunkett to complain that the Briton had not been treat- ed equally by the courts in India.

Mr Blunkett also appealed for release on humanitarian grounds on behalf of Mr Bleach's 83-year-old mother, Oceana, who lives in Scarborough.

Mr Bleach has also been seriously ill while serving his sentence in jail.

He is believed to be suffering from tuberculosis.

He and the Latvians were arrested on charges that they parachuted crates of assault rifles, anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers and ammunition into Purulia village in West Bengal.

A Calcutta civil court sentenced Bleach and the Latvians to life imprisonment on charges of waging war against India.

However, the five others were later pardoned after appeal judges ruled there was little evidence against them and the sentences were too harsh.