David Mole, a team manager for Thompsons Solicitors in South Shields, is travelling to Colombia as part of a delegation of UK human rights and labour lawyers.

The 34-year-old dad-of-one from Jarrow is joining the Law Society and Peace Brigade initiative to work with Colombian lawyers defending the rights of trade unionists in their country.

Mr Mole heads to Columbia on Saturday for a week, and the delegation will travel around the Latin American country, meeting lawyers and trade unionists currently detained in prison in Bogata.

Members of the delegation will record testimony from trade unionists and lawyers.

Colombia remains the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist, with hundreds of activists assassinated each year and many others tortured and imprisoned without charge.

Trade union lawyers also face daily threats to their lives and liberty.

Mr Mole said: "Colombia has an appalling record on human rights and consistently fails to implement the UN's human rights recommendations and core International Labour Organisation labour standards.

"Trade unionists are murdered and imprisoned for activity which unions elsewhere take for granted, such as opposing the Government's privatisation of public services.

"Delegations such as ours are intended to raise awareness of the situation in Colombia beyond the media headlines of drugs and left wing guerilla groups.

"In particular we want the British Government to listen to our case for ending military aid to the Colombian regime.

"The Foreign Select Committee – an all-party committee – recently urged the Government to rethink its policy and to stop military aid until such time as Colombia's human rights record is substantially improved.

"When I return, I plan to give talks to local trade unions and other groups to raise awareness of the situation in Colombia."

Thompsons Solicitors has been working with British and Colombian trade unions for a number of years, providing support to projects which are setting up legal advice units for union members who have been unfairly imprisoned for their activities.