Gary Mills and Anthony Poole claim their convictions are unsafe

Gary Mills and Tony Poole have protested their innocence since they were jailed in 1990 for the fatal stabbing of Hensley Wiltshire during a fight at a flat in Conduit Street in the city.

Both men have now served the minimum 10-year tariff set under their life sentences, but have refused the chance to be released on licence until their cases have been re-examined by the courts.

At their trial, Mills, now 43, maintained he acted in self-defence after being attacked by Mr Wiltshire. Poole, now 41, said he took no part in the fight.

The pair will appear at the Court of Appeal next week

Gary Mills told BBC Points West: "One of the saddest things about this case is that the authorities have known from the first day - from the first minute - that neither of us was guilty."

Tony Pole added: "I'd like to say that it's a good day for British justice and it's nice to be out, but we've got so much to do now.

"We've got to rebuild our lives and where do we start?"

An initial challenge to their convictions was rejected by the Court of Appeal in 1996 and that was followed by a defeat in the House of Lords.

But in a High Court hearing in December 2001, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf and Mr Justice Ouseley, said they believed there were doubts about the safety of the convictions.

Their case was referred back to the Court of Appeal in May last year by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates possible miscarriages of justice.

A spokesman for the Court of Appeal confirmed the pair had been released on Wednesday evening.

They are due to appear back before the court next Tuesday to hear the result of their appeal.