THE Neilston fiancee of a jailed anti-piracy security guard has told how he got the “surprise of his life” when his family flew to India to visit him for his birthday.

Yvonne MacHugh, 28, travelled to Chennai with toddler son William to see Billy Irving in Puzhal Central Prison as the former paratrooper turned 38.

Billy and five other British anti-piracy seamen – dubbed the Chennai Six – were detained in India five years ago.

They were working on the MV Seaman Guard Ohio ship, which was deemed to have strayed into Indian waters without permission, despite papers subsequently confirming their weapons were held legally.

Billy is one of 35 sailors and guards on board the vessel who were jailed for five years last January for possession of illegal weapons.

The prisoners were held for six months before the charges were inexplicably dropped.

However, Billy was stopped from returning to the family’s home in Neilston until the conclusion of a police appeal which eventually led to the men being sent back to jail.

Despite the appalling conditions of the prison, and several calls from protestors for the Foreign Office to free the men, Yvonne told how her partner’s face lit up when he saw her and the couple’s two-year-old son, whom Billy has met on only a handful of occasions.

Speaking in a Facebook Live video taken shortly after their meeting, Yvonne said: “He got a massive surprise seeing us two there.

“We waited round the corner and William shouted ‘daddy’ as soon as he saw him.

“It was so lovely, absolutely incredible to see. Billy just got the surprise of his life. We had a big family hug, the first of many.

“We’ve got a family promise – we all promise to look out for each other, no matter what.

“There were no tears. Me and Billy aren’t exactly the most emotional people in the world, there was just pure joy and happiness.

“It sounds strange to even describe a prison visit as joyful but just for us to be a family and feel normal again was just incredible.

“He looked brilliant. Him and William were causing absolute carnage in the jailer’s office, running about, playing hide and seek.”

Yvonne added: “Luckily we can go back to the hotel and cool down and get showered but the heat in there is unbearable and that’s us in a room that had a couple of fans in it.

“To think of those guys in a cell with no fans, no cold showers, nothing, is really, really hard.”

An appeal has been submitted to the Indian courts in a bid to free Billy and his colleagues.

If that is unsuccessful, Billy may apply for a prisoner transfer to Scotland.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said staff in India have been providing support to all six men since their arrest and were working to make sure their welfare is protected in prison.

A campaign has been launched in a bid to bring the prisoners home. For more information, visit www.chennai6.co.uk or www.facebook.com/bringbillyback.