THE PARENTS of a man still languishing in a Filipino jail after more than two years without trial say they have reached breaking point.

Gerald and Mary Taylor, of Stratton, have forked out more than £10,000 in legal fees, food and medicine for their son Kevin, who is on remand in the Philippines.

Now, in an emotional plea to politicians both here and in the Far East, Mary, 66, said: “We need help - we cannot see an end to this.”

Mr Taylor, 46, and his wife Charlene Tambago, 32, were arrested at their business offices, near Manila, on 15 May, 2009, and have since been detained without trial for alleged offences relating to illegal recruitment.

His business stands accused of defrauding job seekers with promises of employment abroad, but he and his wife strongly deny any wrongdoing. Of the original 25 charges against them, only four remain.

Conditions were so poor in the detention centre near Manila - with at least 20 inmates sharing a small cell - that the pair asked to transfer to another prison in Marikina.

Mary and Gerald fear their money has not always gone where it needs to, with lawyers persistently demanding more and prison guards taking a cut.

Mary said: “If I go into town and pay for something I know what I am getting but we keep handing over money and we don’t see where it’s going.

“It’s got to the point now where we have had to say no - and that has been very hard. We don’t want to see him in there any longer.

“We’ve asked for support from our MP and from our Government and theirs but heard nothing. We feel we’ve been left in limbo.”

Gerald, 69, said: “We’ve said all along that if they have done wrong then they should answer for their actions, but this cannot be justice. We have good days and bad days and sometimes I get up and turn on the phone and there will be a message or a phone call.

“I broke down a couple of weekends ago and the phone went across the room. I sat in the living room staring at the walls and thought ‘I cannot do this’.”

“We keep saying this will go on until we are in our 90s and I can’t see and end to it. We cannot cope any more.”

Swindon North MP Justin Tomlinson said he was determined to help the Taylors in their plight.

He said: “We are seeking for this issue to be resolved as quickly as possible, for the sake of the family. But we are reliant on their judicial system, which seems ill-equipped. We will support them and apply pressure where we can.”

A campaign by a group called Brits Abroad has given the pair financial and emotional support and they thanked those who have visited and taken Kevin supplies in the country.