Hello and welcome to the witness podcast and today we're taking you back 15 years to November of 2001

when a group of British tourists was arrested in Greece and put on trial for spying.

But they were not spies, they were aeroplane

enthusiasts. In 2011 Chloe Hadgemothio spoke to one of the men who was

detained, Paul Copin. Twelve British aircraft enthusiasts will face new spying charges in a Greek court today.

The Britons say they were in the country on a plane spotting holiday and deny the charges.

It has been the optimistic

prediction of the defense lawyers all along that this case was patently so absurd

that of course these 12 Britons and the two Dutch citizens would be released

straight away. I thought thought was a joke.

I mean, spy.

I remember when we first heard it, spying.

What do you mean spying, you know?

Paul Copin is a taxi driver and a plane enthusiast from Mildenhall,

a quiet little town on the east coast of England.

Ten years ago, while he was on holiday in Greece, he found himself at the centre of an international

espionage incident.

The trip started out innocently enough

as a tour for fellow aeroplane enthusiasts.

At the end of November, they have a patron saint of the Air Force

and over a three-day period every base is opened so you can go to Greece,

drive around and visit all of them in a three-day period.

...