The family of a churchgoer found guilty of posing as a priest and robbing a pensioner is campaigning to clear his name.

Steven Gray was convicted in January of robbing 94-year-old Isabella Brown at her home. He pleaded not guilty, but a jury at Newcastle Crown Court decided he had carried out the attack and the 29-year-old was jailed for seven years.

But now his family have lodged an appeal against the length of his sentence, and are considering an appeal against conviction.

Nick Connell, solicitor for Gray, from Cruddas Park in Newcastle, said he was considering whether there is enough fresh evidence to appeal against conviction.

He said: "We are looking into the merits of an appeal against conviction. "It is hard to say how long this will take."

Phil Willis, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and John Grogan, MP for Selby - who represent Gray's divorced parents - have written to the chief constable of Northumbria Police in their support.

Mr Grogan said: "A letter has been written asking that all the available evidence is made available to Steven's solicitors.

"Both myself and Phil Willis are backing the family's attempts to see if they can appeal."

At the time of Gray's trial, the court heard how a man dressed in a black cassock knocked on housebound Mrs Brown's door in Newcastle and said he was a priest from St Mary's Cathedral.

He then pushed her to the ground and stole £30 from her purse.

A cassock was found at Gray's home but his father, Gordon, claims he had it for a good reason.

He said: "Steven did work at the cathedral bookshop and went on various pastoral visits.

"In 1994 he was training to be a priest at St Anthony's in Durham.

"He went through two years training but then had some doubts and left.

"He kept his cassock and a lot of other items connected to the church."

Mr Gray is hoping CCTV footage and other undisclosed evidence will help his son lodge and win an appeal.

He said: "He is a very sensitive person but he is coping remarkably well with the situation."