War veteran Arthur Titherington believes Prime Minister Tony Blair now has a greater understanding of the suffering of former prisoners of war in Japan.

The 76-year-old, of Church Green, Witney, met Mr Blair in the House of Commons for half an hour yesterday to urge him to support thousands of ex-PoWs in their case for compensation from the Japanese government.

Mr Titherington, chairman of the Japanese Labour Camp Survivors Association, told the Oxford Mail: "We asked him if he had the political will to do something about it and he said 'Yes'. As far as we are concerned that was a big step forward.

"He had not had the benefit before of talking to somebody like myself who had been involved for the last 30 years or so and who is an ex-prisoner. "He said at the beginning that he understood and he felt for us but I think by the time I had finished telling him a little bit about it he understood rather more."

The association is seeking compensation of £13,000 per victim as well as a clear apology from the Japanese government for war atrocities.

Mr Titherington also went to Westminster with Keith Martin, chairman of the Association of British Internees which represents civilians who were also victims of inhumane treatment, and solicitor Martin Day.

Foreign Office minister Derek Fatchett was also present.

Mr Titherington said: "The fact that we met with him face-to-face and put our story across to him enlightened him a great deal."

"Altogether it was a rather more satisfactory meeting than we expected. There was no absolute turn down or anything. I got on with him quite well and gave him chapter and verse and he appeared to understand a lot more.

"I'm just sorry he didn't talk to me before he went to Japan. I think it would have been a different story perhaps."

They asked Mr Blair to reopen the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty which states in Article 26 that, if any nation accepts a greater benefit from compensation than is allowed for in the treaty, the greater benefit will apply to all the signatories.

Mr Titherington said: "Switzerland and Borneo had something like 100 times more than what we got. This fact was hidden away in 1955 when it was decided by the Foreign Office not to make this matter public.

"We found the documents two or three months ago in the public records.

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