Shields hopes Graham Sankey's evidence will be considered

The 18-year-old Liverpool fan, from Wavertree, was jailed for 15 years for the attempted murder of a barman.

Graham Sankey, 20, admitted the attack on Martin Georgiev but his confession was not accepted by Bulgarian courts.

The Shields family was in Mr Straw's Blackburn constituency on Thursday in a bid to convince him to intervene.

Mr Shields' uncle Joey Graney said: "We will be handing out leaflets in Jack Straw's backyard, so hopefully he might start taking some notice."

We have spoken to Louise Ellman, who is the Shields' local MP, this morning, to ask her to help facilitate a meeting Foreign Office spokesman

The Foreign Office responded to their plea on Thursday by contacting the Shields family's MP today to arrange a meeting.

A spokesman said: "The Foreign Secretary said he would meet the family of Michael Shields and we are trying to arrange a date for that meeting.

"We have spoken to Louise Ellman, who is the Shields' local MP, this morning, to ask her to help facilitate a meeting."

Shields had travelled to the Bulgarian resort of Varna after watching Liverpool win the European Champions League in Turkey in May.

He said he was in bed when a paving slab was dropped on Mr Georgiev's head.

The teenager is still waiting for an appeal hearing, where he hopes Graham Sankey's evidence will be considered.