THE father of a man jailed for burglary despite claims of flawed fingerprint evidence is campaigning for his freedom.

Alan McNamara from Bromley Cross was jailed in June at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court.

The 39-year-old from Highfield Road was sentenced to two and a half years despite claiming, with the backing of a leading international expert, that a thumbprint used in evidence was flawed.

As they wait for news on his appeal hearing, his father Thomas has started a petition calling for his son to be released from Kirkham Open Prison.

The owner of Pocket Savers in Great Moor Street, Bolton, has already collected more than 1,600 signatures. Mr McNamara, aged 77, who lives in Little Lever with his wife Irene, aged 76, said he had received scores of letters of support from all over the world.

He said: "Alan has been in jail for 13 weeks and it very frustrating waiting to hear about the appeal.

Zombie

"When he first went to prison, he resembled a zombie for three or four weeks, lost weight and looked very gaunt.

"Now he is resigned to the fact he is in prison and is trying to make the best of it.

"I would to like to urge people to come to the shop to sign the petition and would like to thank all those who have already offered their support." McNamara's case was featured on BBC's Panaroma when he was waiting to be sentenced after he was found guilty by a jury.

He was charged with the burglary of a house in Rochdale in May, 1999, in which electrical equipment and a car - a total of £33,000 - was stolen.

The father-of-one's thumbprint was found on a jewellery box at the house but McNamara always denied being there.

The defence told the court the print could not have been taken from the surface where it was said to be found.

However, experts for Greater Manchester Police have always maintained that the prints could have come from no other source. FREEDOM CAMPAIGN: Thomas McNamara with the petition calling for his son's release Ref: j3322/25