Planespotters arrive home

Coppin said he was 'elated' to be freed after his 'ordeal.'

LONDON, England -- A group of British planespotters has arrived home vowing to fight any return to a Greek jail after having spent a month in custody on spying charges.

Nine of the 12 plane enthusiasts touched down in Luton, north London, on Saturday, determined to prove their innocence, they said.

All 12 Britons -- and two Dutch citizens also arrested -- were released by Greek authorities on £9,000 (5 million drachmas) bail each after 37 days being held in a Greek jail.

They are bailed to return in the new year to fight misdemeanour charges of obtaining national secrets. They had at one stage faced espionage charges, but these were reduced by Greek judges last week.

Family and friends cheered the arrival of planespotters.

Paul Coppin, who organised the plane spotting trip, said he was "elated" to be home after arriving in Luton.

He added: "We are going to work towards clearing ourselves and to make sure we don't go back to prison.

"It's not over yet. We are only out on bail and we still have to go back probably in the spring."

Another member of the group flew into Heathrow Airport, Sky Television reported.

Stephen Rush was shown telling Sky: "All the way along it remained a possibility that we may not be home for Christmas, so to be back now...we can finally get preparations under way and have a proper Christmas."

The group, in addition to two Dutch citizens, was arrested on November 8 in southern Greece and accused of spying after allegedly taking photographs at a military airbase.

Photographing military compounds is strictly prohibited in Greece, which shares a border with former Iron Curtain countries as well as with long-time foe Turkey, with which it nearly went to war as recently as 1996.

All denied the charges and said they had received an official invitation to attend an air display near the southern Greek town of Kalamata.