Campaigners fighting for the release of six ex-soldiers jailed in India on weapons charges are set to stage a rally.

Supporters, including the family of Billy Irving, from Connel, hope to raise awareness of the men's situation at the event in Carlisle on Tuesday.

The demonstration has been timed to coincide with a meeting in the city between the families and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) minister Hugo Swire.

The families are calling for action from the UK government to help them put pressure on the Indian authorities and bring the men home.

The six men were working as security guards on a US-owned ship on an anti-piracy mission when they were arrested in October 2013 on illegal weapons charges.

In the following months the charges were dropped, but the Indian authorities appealed against the decision and the men were detained in India. In January this year they were found guilty and sent to prison for five years.

Their families hope a fresh appeal in their case will be heard next month.

Mr Irving's partner Yvonne MacHugh said: "If you had asked me on this day last year how I felt I would have told you that things couldn't get any worse. Sadly they have, and innocent men are now locked up for a crime the did not commit."

The other detained men are Nick Dunn from Northumberland, Ray Tindall from Chester, Paul Towers from Yorkshire, John Armstrong from Cumbria, and Nicholas Simpson from North Yorkshire.

Ms MacHugh, from Glasgow, started a petition on Change.org claiming the men had been "wrongly arrested and imprisoned by Indian authorities while working to protect ships from pirate attacks" which attracted the support of hundreds of thousands of people.

She has visited her partner in India and the couple have a young son, William.

Mr Swire, the minister for Asia, said ahead of the meeting: "I recognise what an extremely difficult time this is for all those involved. I have previously met with the families in London and we are meeting again in Carlisle on Tuesday as part of our ongoing support to the men and their families.

"Our staff in India are in regular contact with the men and are working to make sure their welfare is protected in prison.

"The appeals process is ongoing and as we have previously stated, we cannot interfere with India's independent legal system, but we will continue efforts to make sure this case is resolved swiftly. Ministers and our high commissioner to India will continue to raise this case at the highest levels."