A Bradford lorry driver who was wrongly jailed abroad has killed himself.

David Wilson was jailed in Greece after authorities found 19 Iraqi refugees in his lorry as he waited to board a ferry in Italy in 2003.

The refugees signed statements to say Mr Wilson was unaware they were in the wagon but he was sentenced to 11 years in a Greek jail and fined £47,000.

Family and friends battled to the have the father-of-one set free, and his local pub, The Royal, started a massive "Free Willy" campaign in Wyke.

He was cleared of the charges a year later.

But during the time he spent behind bars his business went into liquidation.

In 2003 Mr Wilson told the Telegraph & Argus: "The past year has been like a millstone around my neck. It is always in the back of your mind."

The 47-year-old was found hanged on Monday at the home he shared with his mother. He had separated from his wife, Tracey, 18 months ago. The couple had one son, Danny, 25.

Mrs Wilson said last night that the time in prison had changed her husband.

"He used to be the life and soul of the party and a really good laugh," she said.

"He was not the same person when he came back and I knew straight away, the moment I set eyes on him, that he had changed."

"We were still really good friends. We used to see each other a lot and we were in contact over the phone.

"He just got very depressed and has never been the same since everything that happened in Greece and I believe that was the cause of his death."

Danny Wilson, 25, of Broadstone Way, Holme Wood, said: "The feeling that we have is that there should have been more help for my dad when he came back from Greece.

"The Government followed it up and he came home but there was no one for him to talk to about it.

"We want to put the point across that it is not just us that this has happened to. There are other families out there who need help."

Mr Wilson's funeral will be held on Wednesday at St Andrew's Church, in Oakenshaw, Bradford.

Mrs Wilson said she was expecting a lot of people to attend.

"He was a good man and he did not deserve this. It was a total injustice what happened to him," she said.

e-mail: saima.mir @bradford.newsquest.co.uk.