A MAN jailed for drug offences in Thailand could return to Lancashire by Christmas.

And his family are hoping that he will be allowed home on some form of partial release scheme early next year.

Christopher Egan endured a Thai prison nightmare after being jailed nearly two years ago.

His mother Joan said his festive return to the region would be 'like winning the lottery'.

The Egans, of King Street, Whalley, were this week told that Christopher would be transferred to Kirkham Open Prison some time in the next few weeks.

Christopher, 35, a former pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, was repatriated to Wandsworth Prison, London, in September after spending the early part of his sentence locked up in Klongprem Men's Prison in Thailand, which is better known as the infamous Bangkok Hilton.

He was sentenced to 16 years in a Thai jail in February last year after he was caught with eight amphetamine tablets and marked notes in his luggage.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of possession to avoid a longer prison sentence, but has always denied the allegations.

His sentence was later reduced to eight years, then to four years and was cut by a further six months earlier this year as part of the Thai queen's birthday amnesty.

Joan, 63, said: "It would be like winning the lottery knowing he is only 30 minutes away.

"A letter from Wandsworth Prison says he will be moved to Kirkham Open Prison 'subject to transport and space availability'.

"We've taken that to mean he could be back in the North West before Christmas, or early in the New Year.

"It could even happen tomorrow, we just don't know yet.

"It would be a huge relief, especially if we could see him up here over Christmas.

"We've only seen him twice since he got to Wandsworth because of restrictions on the number of visits, but it might be different at Kirkham.

"He's now been downgraded to a category D prisoner, which is the least serious category, so he is being transferred to a category D prison.

"At the moment he's locked in his shared cell for up to 23 hours a day. At Kirkham he'll be able to walk round as much as he likes and most of the cells are single so he'll get some privacy."

Before his arrest, Christopher was working for his own company which sold Asian art on the e-bay internet auction site.

The Egans hope he could be allowed out on a home detection curfew, or tagging scheme, as early as April.

He will be free in September next year.