A former soldier has gone on hunger strike as he continues his desperate battle to clear his name.

John Armstrong, from Wigton, was one of five crew members from the Seaman Guard Ohio ship to begin the hunger strike yesterday.

It comes as hundreds of people are expected to march through London today in support of the Chennai 6 – all former armed forces personnel, including John, imprisoned in India. The other four men taking part in the hunger strike are fellow Britons Billy Irving and Nick Simpson, and two Estonian men.

For up to three days they will drink only water and refuse all food, in an attempt to raise their plight with authorities.

John, 28, has been in jail since January 2016, having been convicted alongside five other Britons and 29 international men of illegally possessing firearms in international waters.

The men have always protested their innocence, insisting they had all the legal licences and paperwork and were simply working for the American anti-piracy firm, AdvanFort.

They were arrested off the coast of India in October 2013. John’s sister, Joanne Thomlinson, has been leading the fight to clear his name.

The 31-year-old, from Blennerhasset, told The Cumberland News : “It’s not the first time John has gone on hunger strike, although he has never had a response from the Government.

“They feel it’s the only way they can peacefully protest their innocence. They hope it will raise awareness.

“It’s just heartbreaking to know he feels he needs to do this to make a stand against what’s happening to them. But I know John is sensible and wouldn’t deliberately put himself in harm’s way so he has my full support.”

Joanne admitted that while the men will still take water, the hunger strike will be difficult as temperatures in the region are currently in the high 30s.

As John takes action in India, Joanne, other relatives and friends of the Chennai 6 will march from Whitehall Place at midday to the Indian High Commission in Aldwych. This week marked 200 days since the men’s appeal against their conviction and sentence was heard in court, and yet they have still not been told the decision.

Supporters are calling on the British and Indian authorities not to forget the men and to press for a verdict on the appeal and the release of their loved ones.

Their lawyer Stephen Askins said: “They were armed guards backed by the international community as a successful answer to Somali piracy.

“Weapons go in and out of India on commercial ships all the time to protect the world’s crews from hijacking. It has never been clear why the authorities took exception to these men and the courts have shown a complete misunderstanding of international law.”