Briton ‘to be released from Saudi prison’

A British man who was imprisoned for possessing alcohol in Saudi Arabia will be released within a week, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

Karl Andree, 74, was arrested by Saudi religious police after being found in possession of homemade wine.

He has been in prison for more than a year and his family feared he would also be flogged, although Saudi officials denied this would happen.

Mr Hammond tweeted of his “delight” that Mr Andree was getting released. The full tweet said: “Delighted to announce Brit Karl Andree will be released from Saudi custody within a week & reunited with his family.”

Andree, who has lived in the country for several years, has been in prison since his arrest in Jeddah in August last year.