Briton faces jail for touching another man in Dubai bar

Dubai: A Briton is facing up to three years in jail in the UAE for accidentally touching another man at a bar here, a media report said on Sunday.

Jamie Harron, 27, was arrested for public indecency. He, however, has denied the charge, saying he made contact only to avoid spilling a drink on him.

Harron was locked up in the Al Barsha prison for five days before being released on bail, the Sky News reported. His passport was also confiscated.

The 27-year-old electrician, from Stirling, has been stuck in the UAE since the incident took place at the Rock Bottom Bar in July.

He has already spent more than £30,000 towards legal fees.

"It is quite outrageous that he has been held in the country for so long already,” the report quoted Radha Stirling of the NGO Detained in Dubai as saying.

"This is another example of how vulnerable tourists are to arrest and detention in Dubai and at how drawn out and disorganised legal proceedings are," she added.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office here said: "We have been in contact with a British man following his arrest in Dubai in July. We are providing consular assistance."