A CURRY granted VIP status in a 4,000 mile TransAtlantic dash has come to a sticky end.

The Tandoori takeaway was a birthday surprise for Indian food fan Mark Wilson, who lives in America.

The meal, cooked up in Worthing, was driven up to Gatwick, where it was upgraded to business class for the nine hour flight to Cleveland. On US soil, a chauffeur-driven limousine was waiting to whisk it to Mark's doorstep.

But Mark, from Worthing, had to make do with a ham omelette for tea when armed American customs officers swooped at the airport and impounded the curry, saying it was illegal to import fresh food.

Abdul Monnan, owner of the Mahaan Tandoori takeaway, Montague Street,

Worthing, prepared the dish when he heard that Mark, who has lived in America for the past two years, couldn't get a decent curry for love nor money in the States.

He specially cooked and packaged the meal for Mark, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on National Curry Day.

Abdul, 42, prepared a chicken jalfrezy, chicken tikka masala, two pilau rice, a portion of sag aloo (potato and spinach) and a nan bread.

It was packaged in air tight plastic containers and at 8.15am couriered 25 miles up to Gatwick Airport by Argus photographer Terry Applin.

Terry handed the meal over to Continental Airlines marketing executive Charmaine Price for the dash to check in as Gatwick.

After clearing passport control, the curry was then loaded on to a 172-seat 757 jet for the 3,744 mile flight.

Continental air hostess Janice Hatton-Santiago made sure the curry was comfortable by putting it on a plumped up pillow in business class.

It even had a tour of the cockpit as bemused pilot Ray Winslow and first officer Tom Martine looked on.

After touching down at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Ohio, the curry was due to be transported in a chauffeur-driven limousine to Mark's doorstep, 25 miles away at a suburb called Mentor-on-the-Lake.

But customs officers impounded it, saying: "You are not bringing that in," leaving Mark, father of Gabrielle, aged 16 months, with omelette for tea.

Mark, North American sales manager for Integrated Hydraulics Ltd, was gutted.

He said: "It was a terrific idea but I'm home before Christmas and the first thing I'll do when I get off the plane is go for a curry."

His wife, Tracey, 32, who is six months pregnant with their second child, said: "He was stunned. Curry is his favourite food. He has been six months without a curry."

A US customs spokesman said: "There are all sorts of food items that are not allowed in."

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