Appeal to Major over jailed soldiers

John Major was asked to intervene to press for the early release of two Scots Guards jailed for life for killing a Belfast man while on patrol.

A delegation supporting the two soldiers marched to 10 Downing Street yesterday to deliver letters of support from ex-servicemen.

The campaigners included two retired generals and Phil Gallie (left), the MP for one of the men, Jim Fisher, 28, from Ayrshire. Mr Fisher and Mark Wright, 23, from Arbroath, were jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering Peter McBride. They shot McBride, 18 and unarmed, while on patrol in 1992. The trial heard they thought the youth was carrying a bomb. A High Court judge ordered a review in December but campaigners say the review is taking too long.