A New Forest woman has spoken of her heartache as her husband prepares to spend another birthday behind bars in the Middle East.

Businessman George Atkinson - 52 tomorrow - will not be receiving a card from his wife Helene and their two daughters.

Mrs Atkinson, of Rockbourne in the New Forest, said: "How can I say 'Happy Birthday' when it will be nothing of the sort?"

Her husband has been held in Dubai since 1997, when he was arrested and accused of corruption. He was subsequently jailed for six years and fined £1.5m.

Now he is about to endure a seventh birthday in a tiny cell with four other inmates.

His wife will spend tomorrow with their two daughters, Alice, 24, and Nina, 22, who have helped her campaign for his release.

"I think of George all the time but will try to treat tomorrow as just another day," said Mrs Atkinson.

"I won't be able to phone him because Thursday and Friday are the weekend in Dubai and the authorities won't put any calls through."

Mr Atkinson, who has always protested his innocence, will be the subject of an adjournment debate in the House of Commons this evening. The debate has been secured by New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne.

He said: "I will draw on the legal opinion of Professor William Ballantyne, who has huge experience of litigation in the Middle East and is the principal expert in his field.

"He maintains that Mr Atkinson should have been released on August 31, 2001, when his sentence was complete with remission for good behaviour.

"The Dubai authorities say he lost his remission following non payment of the £1.5m fine, but Prof Ballantyne believes that is a misinterpretation of their law."

During the debate Mr Swayne will accuse ministers of failing to help Mr Atkinson.

He said: "The government will doubtless say it can't interfere in the legal processes of another country, but it does so all the time."