Omar Deghayes is on hunger strike over conditions at Guantanamo Bay

Omar Deghayes, 36, a law student, is in the sixth week of his hunger strike at the US military base in Cuba.

The petition, signed by Brighton residents and calling on Tony Blair to help Mr Deghayes, was taken to 10 Downing Street on Thursday.

He has been imprisoned at the camp since being arrested while visiting Pakistan in 2002.

Jackie Chase, from the Save Omar Campaign, read out a message from the petition.

"Dear Mr Blair, we ask you and the ministers of the government to act immediately on behalf of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

"Omar was a resident of Sussex before his capture and detention by American forces."

Mr Deghayes' family are praying for a positive response to the petition

His brother Abubaker said the family were very worried.

"We all believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty," he said.

"They should have a fair trial or be released but not kept like that against their will."

Mr Deghayes and his family left Libya for the UK in 1986 after his father was assassinated by Colonel Gaddafi's regime in 1980. He was then granted refugee status in 1987.

His sister Amani, who lives in Kilburn, north London, said she was worried about how long his body would cope with the hunger strike.