Chipping Norton: Dad Denied Russian Bail

11 October 2013, 13:58 | Updated: 11 October 2013, 13:59

Chipping Norton Dad In Russian Custody Phil Ball is one of six British people now facing 15 years in jail after a Greenpeace protest.

The 42-year old's brother Steve told Heart he was "unsurprised but disappointed" at the decision, based on the rarity of bail being granted to people being held in Russia.

Phil and 29 other activists have been charged with piracy after they attempted to board an oil rig in the arctic. In a repeat of a protest carried out there last year. Before he left, Phil who lives with his partner and three children in Oxfordshire said he knew he wouldn't be home soon.

His brother Steve, also told us, "He (Phil) has three lovely little kids and he's driven to protect their future".

In particular, he's worried about the latest UN climate report along with drilling in the arctic. Adding, "Phil knows that he is fully supported by the family and that they all understand the issues he's fighting for. I hope that comforts him wherever he's sitting at the moment. We're doing our best to bring him back".