A LOCAL footballer has called on the region's sporting community to back a campaign set up to free a video journalist being detained by Russian authorities, originally on piracy charges.

Kieron Bryan of Shebbear was arrested by armed Russian security officials last month, alongside 29 Greenpeace activists aboard the vessel Arctic Sunrise who were objecting to attempts to drill for gas within the Arctic Circle.

Kieron has received support from the public and a number of journalists back in the UK, who are supporting a campaign established to call for his release citing his involvement as being purely in the interests of his work.

For the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the 'Post'.