the prime minister calling for his intervention in the case. In a statement, a spokesperson at Downing Street said David Cameron had sympathy for Nightingale's family but added that due process had to be followed and he was not in a position to make a judgment. MPs are due to discuss father-of-two Nightingale's case in a special debate at the House of Commons later. BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said it was understood Mr Hammond was keen for an appeal against the conviction to be heard as soon as it was lodged by Nightingale's lawyers. Sally Nightingale says her husband feels he has the support of the public Speaking after the latest development, Nightingale's father Humphrey said: "I think there are a lot of people who are too scared to do anything. "There has to be someone at the top who can step in and do something - we will keep pressing and hopefully we will get to the bottom of this." He said the past few months had been "very, very stressful" for his son and the rest of the family. He added: "Where he is at the moment is just hellish. "He has to spend 16 hours in a cell on his own, which, for someone used to living the life he does, is unbearable. "Since he's been there he has been regressing over the brain damage. We need to get him out." The soldier's supporters said the pistol had been given to him by Iraqi soldiers he