Eco activist Andy Pag has escaped a 10-year jail sentence for illegally carrying a satellite phone in India.

After three months of waiting for his trial, the relieved 35-year-old from Thornton Heath walked away from a court in Pushkar, northern India today with a 1,000 rupee fine (£14).

Mr Pag, who is campaigning against using fossil fuels by touring the world in a bus powered by chip fat, was arrested in January in the state of Rajasthan, in northern India, because he was carrying a satellite phone without permission.

He spent a week in an Indian prison with a murderer for a cell mate before being released on bail.

Since then he has has been anxiously waiting for police to produce their charge sheet in court, hoping they would drop the terror charges. But the police kept on delaying Mr Pag's trial saying they needed more time to investigate.

In the past month, two other tourists caught with satellite phones escaped with a light fine within 24 hours of being arrested.

In desperation Mr Pag launched an internet campaign asking people to write to the police in charge of his case to get a trial date set. He generated over 2,000 letters of support.

He said: "I am really grateful to the support everyone has given me and to the Croydon Guardian for following my case from start to finish, it has made a big difference."

He was relieved he had escaped with a fine but still has a lot of bureaucratic red tape to deal with before he can finally make his next step.

He said: "I was already planning my next move in my head but it is going to take longer to leave India than I thought.

"I am trying to get my €600 bail money back but that might take a couple of weeks.

"I have a block on visa preventing me from leaving the country so I have to get the chief of police to write a letter for me so I can get the block lifted.

"I am mentally readjusting to deal with that."

Mr Pag has had to cancel the rest of his world tour because he has blown €6,000 on legal fees and cannot afford to continue. He is planning to make one more stop in Nepal before returning to Britain, unless he finds the sponsorship he needs to carry on driving around the world on chip fat.

He said: "I am bitter about the whole thing. I think psychologically it will take me a while to get over it."

However he said the support he received from well wishers on facebook and twitter helped him through the past three months.

Shortly after his trial ended he wrote on Twitter: "Thanks to everyone on FB and Twitter for the support and comments that keep me smiling when I'm raging."