A JAILED arms dealer's bid to be freed from prison in India has been put on hold, after tests confirmed he had TB and pneumonia.
Peter Bleach, of Fylingthorpe, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, has been in jail for more than six years for his part in dropping arms and ammunition to rebels in West Bengal.
An appeal against his sentence was launched last month and Prime Minister Tony Blair has also taken up the case.
But yesterday it was confirmed that the legal action was to be postponed after Bleach told a friend of his illness.
In an email to Richard Stansfield, also of North Yorkshire, Bleach said he had been ill since the start of December and tests had revealed he had TB and pneumonia.
He added that the illness meant he would not be pursuing his legal action in court for some time.
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