A BACKPACKER in an Indian jail is in a race against time to be transferred to a UK prison for treatment to prevent his illness becoming fatal.

Last week, 33-year-old Patrick Malluzzo, from Dartford, was granted permission to serve the rest of his 10-year prison sentence for smuggling cannabis in a UK jail.

Former city worker Mr Malluzzo, who has always maintained his innocence, has developed prostatitis, an infection of the prostate, since he was locked up in January 2004.

His father Salvatore says Patrick could die if he does not receive proper treatment and is in a “race against time” to get to the UK for help.

The 64-year-old said: “We are worried Patrick could die from the prostatitis because it could become cancerous if not treated properly.

“At the prison he is in, which is in Kota in Rajasthan, they cannot give him the treatment he needs, so we are in a race against time to get him to the UK.”

Mr Malluzzo and his wife 62-year-old Teresa, who live in Upper Heath Lane in Dartford, say they have no idea when Patrick will be moved to a UK prison.

Mr Malluzzo said: “I wish it would be next week but it is not in our hands. It is just a question of waiting for all the paper work to be done.”

He says the UK and Indian authorities have agreed Patrick will only serve half of his remaining jail term when he arrives in the UK, meaning he will only serve another 18 months if transferred in January.

Patrick was arrested at Mumbai airport in January 2004 while waiting for a flight, after Indian police found a bag containing cannabis and a ticket with his name on it on a train in November 2003.

But Patrick, who was backpacking around India at the time, was not with the bag when police found it and claimed it did not belong to him.

He was jailed for 10 years in 2006 after being found guilty of smuggling cannabis in Mumbai, and unsuccessfully appealed the conviction in February this year.

In September last year Liverpool football fan Michael Shields was pardoned of attempted murder following his transfer to an English prison after being convicted in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian authorities had found the 23-year-old guilty of trying to kill a barman after Liverpool won the 2005 Champions League final, and he was jailed there before being moved to England.

Mr Malluzzo says Patrick is not planning to try to have his conviction quashed in the UK, as the legal process would be expensive and by the time it concludes he will have finished his sentence.

However, he says Patrick may try to clear his name once he has served his sentence.