Battling wife Tracey Wilson told today how Greek prison guards tried to prevent her from seeing her husband languishing in an Athens jail cell.

Mrs Wilson flew to the Greek capital last week and drove for an hour to the prison where her trucker husband David is being held after being convicted of trying to smuggle 19 Iraqi refugees across Europe.

At the jail, she found herself entangled in a red-tape nightmare.

The determined mother told how she broke down in tears when officials at first prevented her from seeing him.

"The Greeks put obstacles in the way," said Mrs Wilson, who has spent Easter raising money towards the £22,000 needed to bail her husband pending his appeal.

"I had taken my marriage certificate and birth certificate along as proof of who I was but they insisted these needed translating before they would let me in," said Mrs Wilson, from Wyke.

"It was only when I contacted Euro MEP Richard Corbett and he called the embassy that I was told a passport was all I needed.

"I finally got to see David and was allowed to give him one of the two bags of clothes and books I had taken with me,

"He was not in bad spirits but looked as though he had lost a lot of weight."

Mr Wilson, a self-employed truck driver who owns 3D Transport, of Wyke, was held after the Iraqi Kurds were found hiding in his wagon at the port of Patras.

At his trial, which was "fast-tracked" under Greek law less than 24 hours later, he explained that they must have got in while he was asleep. The refugees themselves said he had known nothing about it.

And not mentioned in court was the fact that, five years ago in Belgium, Mr Wilson found an Albanian couple and their two children in his truck and turned them in.

But the hearing, at which he was represented by a lawyer who did not speak English, found him guilty, fined him £47,000 and jailed him for 11 years.

The family now have a new solicitor who speaks English and are waiting for documents to arrive from the port authorities at Patras before attempting to launch an appeal.

"I'm confident he's not going to be in there long," said Tracy, who spent last Saturday in Bradford city centre, collecting names for a petition.

The day before, she had been at the Crown Hotel, in Wyke, at a fundraising fun day.

"It was brilliant," she said. "People shaved their heads, there was an auction and a raffle and I believe around £1,500 was raised."

Family, friends and fellow hauliers have so far raised more than £17,000 to free Mr Wilson.

To help the "Free Willy Appeal", contact Prescott Transport on (01274) 693311 or pay a cheque into any bank, using sort code 560036 and account number 28543610.