Racism claim as family is turned back from US

American immigration officials were accused of "plain racism" after they refused to let a British man heading for Disneyland with his family enter the country.

Azar Iqbal was turned back after US immigration tightened checks on UK travellers in the wake of last week's terror raids. His wife and children, who were allowed to continue the holiday, watched in tears as he was sent back to Britain.

Mr Iqbal and his wife, Rizwana, were taking their children Mohin, 14, Murvah, 10, and Ibrahim, five, for a £5,200, two-week holiday at Disneyland in California.

They had been cleared by security at Manchester airport before boarding the Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta last Thursday, on the first leg of their trip.

During four hours' questioning Mr Iqbal was asked whether he knew any of the suspects who had been arrested. He said: "The whole experience was completely demeaning. One of the officials even said sarcastically, 'We didn't tell you to come to America on holiday'." Mr Iqbal said that three other Asians on the flight were also refused entry.

Shahid Mustafa, of the First for Florida travel agency, which arranged the trip, said: "Obviously this is a backlash to the 10August arrests, but I would put it down to plain racism." Mr Iqbal's MP, Mark Hunter, said he would take up the case: "I'm absolutely appalled that a British citizen, regardless of the colour of their skin, can be treated in this way."