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Supporters of Black Country murder suspect Luke Walker have launched an online petition calling for his release as the funeral of his girlfriend Chelsea Hyndman approaches.

 

More than 1,600 people have signed, with friends who set up the petition aiming to reach 10,000 names. Walker, in jail in Greece charged with murdering Miss Hyndman, is facing a race against time to secure his release so he can attend the funeral of his girlfriend of three years on Tuesday.

 

Members of the Facebook group ‘Luke Walker – Innocent until proven innocent’ have been publicising the petition and urging others to add their names.

 

Penny Mellor, who has been helping the Walker family with medical research, has written: “It’s doing really well so far, 10,000 UK citizens asking for the Greek government to release Luke will make a difference. Push it, pass it on, put it anywhere you can. Thank you.”

 

Relatives and friends of Walker will travel to West Yorkshire for the funeral, his father Patrick has said.

 

21-year-old Chelsea will be laid to rest in her home town of Castleford. Mr Walker is hoping to attend while other members of the family will definitely make the journey.

 

Mr Walker senior said they had been given the blessing of Miss Hyndman’s mother Heather, who has told him she is certain his son played no part in her death. An inquest on Miss Hyndman has been opened and adjourned in Wakefield. The court heard there was evidence Miss Hyndman had fallen the night before she was admitted to hospital in Crete.

 

Mr Walker said the testimony of a police officer was “good news” as it corroborated his son’s version of events. Doctors in Greece who carried out a first post-mortem claimed Miss Hyndman died as the result of “physical violence”. However, Walker claims she was injured when she fell heavily on a beer glass during a girls’ night out.

 

The online petition can be viewed at http://www.petition.fm/petitions/freelukewalker/0/41/

 

Last Sunday, hundreds of wellwishers met at the family’s regular pub to discuss how the campaign to get his name cleared should progress. His father said he had been “overwhelmed” by the turnout and broke down during a speech.