An innocent behind bars: The Michael Shields ordeal so far ...

MICHAEL Shields was arrested in May 2005 after barman Martin Georgiev was attacked with a paving stone, leaving him brain damaged, just a few nights after Liverpool’s European Cup Final victory in Istanbul.

Michael, then a teenager, have been visiting Bulgaria after watching Liverpool win the 2005 Champions League final in neighbouring Turkey.

He was initially jailed for 15 years in the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of Varna, but was transferred to the UK in 2006. He is serving the remainder of his sentence, which was cut to 10 years on appeal, in Thorn Cross prison in Warrington.

He has always maintained his innocence and Fair Trials Abroad described his conviction - based solely on identification evidence with no supporting testimony - as a miscarriage of justice.

Another fan, Graham Sankey, signed a confession - later retracted - that he was the man responsible, but the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council said the new evidence did not prove anything but introduced doubt.

Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, Riverside MP Louise Ellman and Euro MP Arlene McCarthy have campaigned for the 22-year-old.

Michael has always protested his innocence and in 2007 took a polygraph test in prison.

Michael’s parents, Michael senior and Maria have spent years campaigning for their son’s release.