Michael Shields, the Liverpool fan sentenced to 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of Bulgarian bartender Martin Georgiev after the Champions League Istanbul final in 2005, was transfered to a lower security prison, the Liverpool Echo (no relation to The Sofia Echo) reported on May 9.

"The 21-year-old was moved while senior barristers see if a new statement from the Bulgarian government effectively gives Britain an opportunity to free him," the Merseyside newspaper said.

Shields will remain jailed while the statement is scrutinised, but he could then be moved to an open prison and qualify for home release, according to the report.

Jack Straw, the justice minister, has asked for legal advice after receiving the letter from Bulgarian authorities, who said that they were unwilling to reopen the case despite new evidence of a miscarriage of justice.

In March, his Bulgarian counterpart Meglena Tacheva said the issue had exhausted itself after Bulgaria agreed to allow Shields to serve what is left of his sentence in Britain.

“This move ended any further obligation Bulgaria could have in regards to Shields, because sending him to the UK meant that the execution of his sentence issued by a Bulgarian court was suspended”, Tacheva said.