NINE Afghan men found guilty of the Stansted Airport hijack drama have had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal.

The group forced their plane to land at the airport on February 7, 2000 and surrendered three days later following a massive security operation.

They claimed they were fleeing Afghanistan's hard-line Taleban regime, which has since been overthrown as part of America's 'War on Terror'.

Now three appeal judges have ruled that the men acted under duress when they took over the Afghan Ariana Boeing 727 during an internal flight in Afghanistan.

Abdul Shohab, 21, Taimur Shah, 29, Kazim Mohammed, 28, Nazamuddin Mohammidy, 28, Abdul Ghayur, 25, and Mohammed Showaib, 26 have all been released already.

The alleged ringleaders, Brothers Ali and Mohammed Safi, are expected to given their freedom soon.

Over 150 passengers were held for three days on a runway at Stansted during the hijack which, including two trials and disruption to the airport and businesses, is though to have cost British tax-payers £12 million.

Appeal judges Lord Justice Longmore, Mr Justice Hooper and Mrs Justice Cox ruled the convictions were "unsafe" because the law relating to whether the men had acted under duress had been wrongly applied at their trial.

The Crown Prosecution Service has indicated it will appeal "on a point of law" to the House of Lords onec the full reasons for the decision is known.