THE Gazette is urging readers to show jailed Nick Baker they are supporting him this Christmas by sending festive cards.

His grandmother Iris believes these sort of messages will make all the difference to him as he faces his first Christmas in a Japanese jail.

Mrs Baker, 54, of Oaksey, near Malmesbury, said her son, who has always protested his innocence, would be spending Christmas in solitary confinement, suffering from frostbite. She believes that receiving Christmas cards from well-wishers could keep his spirits from deteriorating even further.

Mr Baker, 33, was arrested at Japan's Narita international airport in April, with 41,120 tablets of ecstasy and 990 grams of cocaine in his luggage.

Despite protesting that he was duped into carrying the case for another man, he was convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to 14 years in the notorious Chiba Detention Centre, near Tokyo.

Mr Baker hasn't seen his family, including his partner Bev and two-year-old son, George, since his sentencing in June and his mother said his mental state is deteriorating fast.

"To know people are thinking about him and wishing him the best, would be such a lift for Nick," said Mrs Baker.

"He is living in such a hell, in such terrible conditions, with such terrible food.

"It is very difficult for us, knowing he is in there, and sending him cards with Christmas cheer makes no real sense when his Christmas will have no happiness whatsoever, but I know he will be immensely touched, just to receive messages from people, letting him know he is in their thoughts."

Gazette editor Gary Lawrence said: "It sounds as if Mr Baker is living in terrible conditions and messages and cards from our readers could help him realise he has not been forgotten and could make all the difference to him."

If senders put their names and their town on the back of the envelope, cards will reach him.

"Just a few words, urging Nick to keep strong, while we are fighting for a fair trial, could make all the difference to his state of mind," said Mrs Baker. "He spends more than 23 hours a day alone, in a tiny cell."

Mrs Baker has been a fervent campaigner for her son since his arrest and is currently seeking an appeal to have him returned to serve the remainder of his sentence in Britain. "Nick's lawyer is coming to the UK in January and we are hopeful that some progress can be made towards his appeal," she said.

"But in the meantime, it would raise both mine and Nick's spirits, to know that people are thinking about him."

Send cards to Nicholas Baker, Chiba Detention Centre, 192 Kaizuka-Cho, Wakabu-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba-Ken, 2640023, Japan.