What do you think about Scouse TV personality Paul O'Grady arrested at Miami airport by over-zealous Yanks?

British tV and radio presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady has revealed that he was held by officials at a US airport because they thought he was a communist.

The Liverpool-born TV presenter said he was taken aside for questioning at Miami airport by staff who made the assumption because of his 'funny' accent. (actually exactly the same sort of Scouse accent all four Beatles speak with).

He was then held for two hours while an officer accused him of being an 'illegal alien' from Cuba.

He told listeners of his Radio 2 show: "How could I be accused of being an illegal Cuban alien? Do I look Cuban? Do I sound Cuban?"

He added: "I've been to hell, folks - it's called Miami airport."

The Channel 4 star was later released after the customs officials studied his passport and found no links with Cuba.

O'Grady went on to describe his experience on his nationally broadcast radio show, advising listeners "Never go to Miami." The story was then taken up by British national newspapers.

So what would Americans have to say about this? Any other people on Earth would realise that somebody wasn't entirely welcoming to a visitor to one of their biggest tourist atttractions, note that some airport jobsworth had made the biggest mistake of his life by badly treating somebody capable of bringing down an awfully large amount of bad publicity capable of somewhat denting that lucrative tourist trade, and might be inclined to issue an apology...

I mean, somebody who can inform an entire country "never go to Miami and this is why" via a national radio station, and have the story taken up by national newspapers, is not somebody you mistreat at the entry airport.

But then, security jobsworths exist at airports the world only - little people, taking a delight in misusing very real power knowing that if the person on the receiving end complains, there's nothing they can do about it and the situation can be made worse for them very, very, quickly. America seems to have the most virulent kind, though...

A bloody big own goal for Florida's lucrative tourist trade?