James Cottle was jailed last year

Les Walker, from Neston, Merseyside, and James Cottle, from Urmston, Greater Manchester, were put in prison last year for allegedly planting car bombs in Riyadh.

The Saudi authorities said the pair, along with four other British men jailed around the same time, were alcohol bootleggers involved in a turf war.

Liberal Democrat MP for Southport, John Pugh, is calling for the Government to intervene.

He said the case is a "great miscarriage of justice".

Mr Pugh was due to open a backbench debate on the issue in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Progress report

He said: "Whenever I have asked about this case in the past I have been given the same bland response.

"They say they are doing their best behind the scenes.

"This may be the case but it needs to be addressed in public.

"I want the Foreign Office to be more expansive about what progress they have made."

The families of the two men say the charges were "trumped up" and the bombings were carried out by Islamic fundamentalists targeting Westerners.