BRITISH grandparents were thrown in a Greek jail and accused of spying because they took photos of boats in Kos.

Pamela and Michael Cleary’s summer getaway turned into a holiday from hell after they were handcuffed and spent the night in a cockroach-infested cell.

The pair, who have eight grandchildren, weren’t even allowed any food or water by Greek cops.

Their Greek tragedy took place when Michael captured a few snaps of two army dinghies on his mobile phone, reports Daily Mail.

An angry soldier marched over to him and ordered the 55-year-old to delete the images straight away.

When the couple tried to fly back to England – they were stopped at the airport, interrogated and accused of spying.

Pamela said: “Mike took the photographs because he has an interest in the military. We tried to explain this to the police. I kept saying, ‘We are just tourists, this is a mistake’.”

The gran said the pair were then led to a filthy cell where they were kept for the night while mosquitos flew around them.

Pamela said: “All I can remember is Mike shaking cockroaches off me. He was heartbroken, saying, ‘I took the picture, you shouldn’t be here, I’ve put you through this’. It was awful.”

The next the couple were hauled up in front of magistrates in Kos and refused access to legal representation.

They were told they could go home, but there phones were being confiscated and to report back for a second hearing later in the summer.

Pamela said the couple feel “numb” and are still getting over the trauma of the ordeal.

The have lodged a complaint with the British consulate as a result of an alleged lack of support during their time in Kos.

Pamela said: “It’s destroyed us and it’s all been for nothing. We’re both under the doctor for post-traumatic stress. I’m taking sleeping tablets.”

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Our staff supported two British people following their detention and subsequent release in Kos earlier this year.
"We provided a list of local lawyers, passed on messages from their family, and have raised their concerns about their case with the Greek authorities."