THE Foreign Office confirmed today that Fenland teenager remains locked up in a South American prison facing drugs charges. A spokesman for the Foreign Office could not confirm if 19 year-old Zoe Shepherd of Manea has yet been charged but said British co

THE Foreign Office confirmed today that Fenland teenager remains locked up in a South American prison facing drugs charges.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office could not confirm if 19 year-old Zoe Shepherd of Manea has yet been charged but said British counsel representatives had been into see her on a number of occasions.

"We remain in contact with her family," said the spokesman.

"Things take a lot longer out there. We haven't been told yet if she has been charged."

The allegation made after her arrest in Bolivia on April 13 claimed she was carrying 49 g-rammes of cocaine- an offence that could translate into a 49 year prison sentence.

Zoe, a former student at Cromwell Community College, Chatteris, worked as an apprentice hairdesser at Curl Up and Dye in the town.

MP Malcolm Moss has been in contact with the family and confirmed that Zoe has been able to speak to her parents by phone from prison in Santa Cruz. She has also been a frequent user of social network sites such as Facebook.

(If you have contacted Zoe via Facebook, please call our news desk on 01354 652621)