Egypt frees Briton after painkiller jail term

Laura Plummer was 14 months into a three-year term for bringing banned medicine into the country

Laura Plummer was arrested as she travelled to Egypt for a holiday at Hurghada. AFP

A British woman jailed in Egypt for carrying painkillers into the country has been freed and is due to return to the UK.

Laura Plummer, 34, from Hull, was jailed for three years in December 2017 for taking nearly 300 Tramadol tablets into the country.

She said the pills were for her Egyptian partner who suffers from back pain. The drugs are legal on prescription in the UK but banned in Egypt.

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Her application for early release was accepted after serving a third of her sentence.

“I'm so happy to be going home. I mean, who goes on holiday for two weeks and then stays 14 months?” she told British newspaper The Sun.

She said she did not try to hide the medicine and thought it was a joke when she was stopped by officials after arriving for a holiday at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

The UK's Foreign Office did not immediately confirm her release. "Our staff continue to do all they can to support Laura and her family, and our Embassy remains in regular contact with the Egyptian authorities."