A FORMER prisoner of a south east Asian jail said he wants to help to raise funds for a Swindon father-of-two who has been incarcerated for almost a month without charge in a Filipino prison.

David Scott, 37, who lives in Eldene with his wife, Cynthia, and baby daughter Janina, was jailed in the Philippines for adultery last year.

He was arrested for the crime in 2008 after having a relationship with Cynthia despite her being married. David was eventually bailed by the Philippine authorities and fled to Thailand before flying home.

David believes without money to support them in jail, any Briton in a foreign prison ‘is a gonner’.

His comments come only days after the Adver spoke by telephone to Kevin Taylor, a former BMW worker originally from Stratton, who has been locked up in a tough Filipino jail for the past three weeks.

The 43-year-old father-of-two has been accused of defrauding job seekers with promises of employment overseas. He was arrested on May 15.

Mr Taylor, who is currently in Camp Crame, a prison in the capital Manila, strenuously denies the crime and warned his wife, Charlene Taylor, 30, who is heavily pregnant and living in Manila with their two children, may also face charges and be brought into jail alongside him.

The former St Joseph’s pupil has said he has lost a stone since being jailed. He has had to spend thousands of pounds on legal fees in the Philippines since his arrest, while the family have had to sell everything, including curtains, to fight the legal battle.

Back in Swindon David, who is currently £25,000 in debt after his escape from Manila, promised to help Mr Taylor with Filipino contacts who helped him get back to Wiltshire in one piece.

“There are few things in life scarier than the blood and urine stained cells in Manila,” said the father-of-one. “I really feel for Kevin, but I am determined to help him. When I was stuck out there loads of people helped me to escape, including ex-prisoners, journalists and charity organisations.

“I feel now is my chance to pay it back. The first thing I would do is urge the parents to contact me because we need to raise money, and lots of it.

“Without money you are a gonner, that is the only thing that kept me going in there.

“His wife, I would say, needs to get out of the country, especially if she is pregnant. The guards will use her as a bargaining chip.

“The parents need to realise that we need people doing sponsored walks and everything we can to get him out of there.

“I know how scary and horrible it can be in there – it’s like your worst nightmare, and I was only there for six days. I can’t imagine more than 20 days.

“There are rats everywhere and we were in cells with some bad people.”

David Scott and his mother, Ann, have asked Mr Taylor’s parents, Gerald and Marie, to contact them through the Advertiser office on 01793 501793.