A GRANDFATHER has told of the horror of being kept in a cell after arriving in Mexico for a long-awaited holiday.

Anthony Inglis Smith was excited about travelling during his retirement – but has been suffering from insomnia, nightmares and depression since his trauma at Cancun airport.

He said he was “flabbergasted” to have been mistaken for an international criminal while travelling with his wife Carole.

He discovered he shares a name with several other men with serious criminal histories – and also has the same birthday as one of them.

This resulted in him being detained for three days in a cold, dark room at Cancun airport.

The 65-year-old, from Worthing, said: “After much deliberating over whether or not I was a criminal, I was completely shocked when 24 hours later I was actually detained and separated from my wife.

“Being detained in a cell for something that you haven’t done is definitely quite disorientating.

“They showed me to a dingy cold, 10ft by 10ft windowless cell with two thin mattresses on the floor and those flimsy aeroplane blankets.

“My wife was escorted off to the hotel on her own, which she found frightening because she was in a new country and all by herself.

“This whole experience has seriously affected her as well.

“She’s too frightened to go abroad now which is what we both love to do normally.”

Anthony said he called the British Embassy for help but was disappointed to hear it could not do anything about his situation unless he was officially arrested.

While he was detained, immigration officers recorded his finger prints and his eye colour.

He was also constantly supervised by a security guard who kept a close eye on him even when he went to the toilet.

Anthony said: “I know there were suspicions I was a criminal but I was being treated like I was a serial murderer. I couldn’t even go to the toilet without the guard writing down my every move.

“The toilets were in a terrible state. The urinal was broken and because of the stress I had a serious bout of IBS and really had no choice.

“There was a shower but it was also a store cupboard with broomsticks in it, and there were no towels.

“Luckily I still had my phone so that I could contact my wife and get some clothes to change into.”

After three days of little communication from the Mexican immigration officers about why he was being held, he was finally permitted to fly home on the next British Airways flight out of Cancun.

The fact he has an unusual middle name apparently convinced the Mexicans they had the wrong Anthony Smith.

He said he was advised by Mexican immigration officers to contact the American Embassy to explain why he was “flagged up” at the airport.

He has since done so but has had no reply.

Anthony said: “When it was time to get back on the flight I was escorted by four people including a national security officer.

“I was tempted to turn to them and say, ‘I am 65, do you really think I am going to run?’. It was by far the most embarrassing walk of shame ever. All the passengers could see me.”

Luckily Carole was able to return on the same flight.

Anthony said: “When we returned the immigration lady at Gatwick said ‘nice holiday?’. They hadn’t even been informed about what just happened.

“Apparently there should have been a big red cross on my boarding pass to show that I had been detained, but there wasn’t.

“I think it’s clear there was a mistake and I am in touch with the American embassy about this.

“I will also be writing to the European Court of Human Rights.

“Luckily I can see the humour in this but I still want to get to the bottom of it.”

The couple had been saving for the holiday for some time.

Anthony said: “I’ve lost £3,000 over this, but it’s not about the money, it’s about clearing my name and making sure that I won’t have any further issues when I next go travelling.”

Anthony is now going to write to the European Court of Human Rights to take matters further.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: “Our staff offered advice to a British man who was detained and subsequently released by the Mexican immigration authorities.

“We provided details of local lawyers and how to make a complaint to the Mexican Institute of Migration.”

The Argus contacted the American Embassy but it could not comment on the case due to a government shutdown.