editorial comment Well, as the great mind of the drug war will no doubt say : If you can't do the time, don't do the crime! (or any other of their usual platutudes....)

A campaign has been launched to free a British woman being held in a Middle East jail after prescription drugs were found in her system.

Tracy Wilkinson, 44, has been in jail in the United Arab Emirates since March 5 when she was arrested at Dubai airport over an error on her passport.

It is understood that Ms Wilkinson, from Balcombe, West Sussex, was then asked to provide a urine specimen which was found to contain codeine and temazepam given to her by her GP in the UK. Codeine has been banned by the Arab nation.

Campaign group Fair Trials Abroad called today for the immediate release of Ms Wilkinson.

The Foreign Office said it was providing "full consular support" to Ms Wilkinson, a sports osteopath, and that she had full access to a lawyer.

Ms Wilkinson was not carrying the drugs but even a trace of the substances in the body counts as possession in the UAE, The Sun newspaper said.

Stephen Jacobi, director of Fair Trials Abroad, said both the British and UAE governments should intervene to end Ms Wilkinson's suffering.

Mr Jacobi added: "I cannot understand what these two governments are playing at. This is clearly a case that should have been resolved weeks ago. This poor woman has been in jail for seven weeks."

Ms Wilkinson, who was on holiday when arrested, told The Sun that the authorities in the UAE had refused to let her go despite her GP sending a letter saying he had prescribed the drugs.

"They just won't believe me. I've had reports from my doctor sent over but they say they want them translated to Arabic."

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