A BRIERLEY Hill father has said a heartfelt thanks to friends and relatives campaigning for the release of his son Luke Walker, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend in Crete.

Patrick Walker flew back from the Greek holiday island at the weekend to attend a pub fundraiser staged at the Dock and Iron in Delph Road, oranised by Luke’s loyal pals and family members to help highlight his plight and raise money for spiralling legal bills.

Mr Walker said he has been overwhelmed by the support for 22-year-old holiday worker Luke - who has been locked up in a Greek prison since his girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman from Yorkshire died of ruptured internal organs on May 17.

He told the News today: “Sunday went really well. Hundreds turned up and they raised around £10,000; “I didn’t realise how many friends we’ve got.

“It’s really uplifting: it’s lifted the gloom. I haven’t got words to say what it means to us - and it’s got through to Luke. He rang me up yesterday and he couldn’t believe what was happening.”

Mr Walker who runs Brierley Hill based Walker Electrics, also showed the News a letter written by Luke from his prison cell - thanking pals for their “amazing” loyalty.

In it the former Thorns Community College student from Gayfield Avenue said: “The support you have all given me is unreal.

“No-one in the world has got friends like I have in you lot. You truly are the best. You have looked after my family and given them so much help.”

And he described 20-year-old Chelsea, whom he had been dating for three years, as his “angel”.

It continued: “She was the most wonderful person I have ever met. Life is going to be so hard without my baby.”

Mr Walker said he was confident Luke will soon be freed from jail as the results of a third and privately-funded post mortem carried out on Ms Hyndman in Wakefield last week have proven “inconclusive” - adding weight, he believes, to witness claims that Chelsea died as a consequence of falling on a beer glass on a night out - rather than as a result of physical violence which Greek doctors initially proclaimed.

He explained: “They can’t say it was a blow, which is good news for us.”

Mr Walker said he now hopes to rejoin his wife Lindy and son Ryan back in Crete at the earliest opportunity this week - and to apply for bail for Luke as soon as possible.