The family of a man serving a life sentence for a street shooting in New York have spoken out for the first time in 15 years as they campaign to have him transferred to the UK.

Father-of-six Manzoor Qadar, who was 41 at the time, was found guilty of conspiring in a drive-by shooting on November 22, 1996.

They are hoping to get 100,000 signatures on an online petition to allow the treaty transfer legislation to be reviewed and debated in the House of Commons. His children have never spoken publicly about their father’s circumstances but have silently battled to prove his innocence without success.

Their campaign, Justice4Daddy, has been launched in their home town of Blackburn but they are hoping to gain support from across the UK.

His son Suleman Qadar, 25, said: “He should be permitted to serve out his sentence here in the UK. Do we not deserve to see him?”

Qadar was found guilty of murder for hire, conspiring to murder for hire and using a firearm for murder for hire at the Federal Court in Brooklyn.

During the incident, Qadar’s cousin, Shaukat Parvez, 33, was killed by a single bullet to the chest.

Qadar, who moved to England in 1983 and married wife Fehmeeda the following year, always protested his innocence, saying he was caught up in a wrangle over an arranged marriage. The trial was adjourned five times in 14 months as solicitors hunted new evidence.

At the time, Qadar's six children were aged 14, 12, 11, 10, six and three. Suleman added: “We were only small children when this happened and we had no idea what was really happening. As children, what do you know? How do you understand what is going on?

“This is not about fighting the conviction anymore. It is about a man simply having the right to see his family. We have not been able to travel to America now due to the visa being refused so what are we as a family supposed to do?”

His youngest daughter Juwairiah, 17, said: “I have not seen my father since 2001 and miss him dearly. Growing up without a father has been difficult and I just want to see him.

"It has been a case of one set of broken promises to another.

“Presently, there are approximately 269 other cases where UK nationals are serving their sentence in America and are trying to link up with those families who are going through the same issues we are.

“Some prisoners are incarcerated in the USA for years and in line with the eligibility criteria meet the requirements for a transfer back to the UK but are declined this basic right. If a request is denied one can only apply again after a two- year period has elapsed.

“Some of these prisoners have family, children, partners and are deprived from seeing loved ones due to financial circumstances."

“The UK needs to work closer with the USA to ensure prisoners are given basic rights as to their families, so they can have some form of contact.”

At the time, Blackburn MP Jack Straw said he would look into Qadar’s plea to serve his jail term in the UK. He said: “I have been taking this case up repeatedly with the US and UK authorities since 2001. s Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Justice Secretary and MP for Blackburn, regarding both prisoner transfer and visa issues for the family.

“I understand the families frustration.

"This is a complex case and there are problems with prisoner transfers from the USA because of their much stricter parole regime.

“I think a prisoner transfer to the UK for the remainder of Mr Qadar’s sentence would be appropriate. In November last year I wrote to the US Ambassador to the UK Matthew Barzun requesting a prison transfer to the UK for Mr Qadar. I am still awaiting a reply."

You can find out more by searching #justicefordaddy on twitter or or see justicefordaddy.co.uk The e-petition is at Http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/72251.