AN ex-soldier from Malvern who travelled to Syria to join fight against Islamic State is 'not a mercenary' according to a statement released on his behalf.

James Hughes and Jamie Read, from North Lanarkshire, have released a statement denying they are mercenaries after travelling to Rojava, in the north of the war-torn country,to help other American and British fighters defend the besieged city of Kobani.

They have been recruited to the Lions of Rojava group, aligned to the Kurdish YPG, or People's Defence Units, movement but said there was a vast difference between them and IS.

A spokesmen for the pair said they were "everyday people doing an extraordinary thing" after the Prime Minister's official spokesman was asked whether Britons travelling abroad to fight against IS could face investigation on their return home.

The spokesman said: "There is a very simple and straightforward message in terms of people who are considering travelling to Syria, which is not to do so - and that is across the board."

A statement, released by Graham Penrose on their behalf, said: "There is a vast difference between assisting beleaguered and persecuted innocents (the Kurds of West Kurdistan) and joining a rabble of barbaric terrorists (Islamic State) who seek to undo centuries of progress in relation to human rights, gender equality, the right to self determination, freedom to practice one's religion, the right to due process, freedom of speech and the rules governing the use of force.

"Reasonable people consider all sides of an argument before reaching a decision.

"Decisions are what we mandate our political representatives to make.

"Taking definitive courses of action based on overwhelming justification is their obligation and defending their people and what they stand for is their mandate.

"The ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and the straight line that separates the two has been diluted in recent times and undermined by a tendency to label any person with a strong but rational opinion on a subject, as an extremist.

"Having the strength of character to recognise deviations from what is acceptable is not a crime.

"Having the strength of character to stand up and oppose breaches of human rights is not a crime.

"Having the strength of character to turn opinion into action in the pursuance of the defence and preservation of democratic principles for which our forefathers fought and died is not a crime...

"James Hughes and Jamie Read and their colleagues are good men.

"They are normal everyday people who are doing an extraordinary thing."