TWO friends are being held in a Spanish jail after being accused of attempting to murder two men during a lads’ holiday in Alicante.

Kyle Thain, 24, of Sandringham Road, Southend, and James Harris, 29, of Pelham Road, Southend, were arrested as they went to board the plane home.

The pals, both former pupils of the King John School, Thundersley, are being blamed for beating up and stabbing two men in a bar near where they were staying.

However, the lads maintain they never even went to the bar. Their families are convinced there has been a terrible case of mistaken identity.

Jay Thain, 29, Kyle’s older brother, is now working with the help of family and friends, to get both men back home.

He said: “They are good boys and they are innocent. They are not violent and they have been locked up for something they didn’t do.”

James and Kyle, along with another pal Joe Elliot, 24, jetted out for a long weekend in the Alicante province Cabo Roig on Friday, July 1.

All three were quizzed on Tuesday, July 5, at Murcia Airport before Kyle and James were held on suspicion of attempted murder.

The pair were taken to separate prison cells before being transferred to Fontcalent prison, Alicante, on Friday, July 8, where they have been ever since. Joe was allowed to fly home, but he stayed to call the families.

Jay told how they still had not been charged, as it is down to the judge. However he is holding out to give police more time to recover a getaway car.

Jay added: “Initially they were not told what they were arrested for. They were questioned at the airport and then taken to a police station. They were not read any rights.

“They had no contact with anyone for three days, had to go to the toilet in a carrier bag and they didn’t find out what they were accused of until Friday, July 8 when they appeared in court. ”

While on holiday the trio stayed in an apartment belonging to James’s parents and twice went for nights out at an Australian bar, called Bushwacka.

Jay, also of Sandringham Road, said the night before the lads were due to return home there was a bloody brawl at a nearby Irish bar, Flanagans.

Jay said he has learned that two Londoners rowed in the bar with the owner, a bouncer and another man.

The men were thrown out, but later returned to beat up the bouncer and the other man, stabbing them both before fleeing in a black car.

Kyle and James were arrested after bar staff at the Bushwacka said Kyle and James fitted the descriptions of the two attackers.

The pair have since taken part in an identity parade in court where witnesses to the violence picked them out. However Jay, who had flown out to see his brother and James in court, said the line-ups featured Mediterranean men and it was too easy to pick Kyle and James out as the guilty Brits.