Britain’s Karl Andree, who was facing the threat of flogging in Saudi Arabia for being caught with home-made wine, is to be rele-ased from custody, foreign secretary Philip Ha-mmond said on Wedn-esday. “Delighted to ann-ounce Brit Karl Andree will be released from Saudi custody within a week and reunited with his family,” Mr Hamm-ond wrote on Twitter after meeting King Salm-an on a visit to Saudi Arabia.

The family of Andree (74) said he had been told he faced 350 lashes in public after serving a year behind bars for being caught with home-made wine. Production and consumption of alcohol are banned in Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote to the Saudi government about Andree’s case earlier in October and his spokeswoman had called the case “extremely concerning”.

Andree’s son Simon said he feared the grandfather of seven would not survive a flogging. He worked in Saudi Arabia’s oil industry for 25 years.

The move comes as Britain's traditionally close ties with Saudi Arabia come under increasing scrutiny over its human rights record.

Earlier in October, the British government aba-ndoned a bid to provide training to the Saudi penal system, a contract potentially worth $9 million, amid reports of a split between ministers.