Family of Brit, 18, held in Dubai over fling with girl spending thousands to free him

Marcus Fakana, 18, said helium is surviving successful Airbnbs successful Dubai which are costing his household £2,000 per period - and spoke of his hopes of returning to Britain by Christmas

The household of a young Brit being held successful Dubai aft a vacation fling with a chap teen is spending thousands of pounds successful a bid to escaped him.

Marcus Fakana, 18, was visiting the United Arab Emirates with his household erstwhile helium met a British miss and a romance blossomed betwixt them. The pair, some from London, had enactment but kept their meetings hidden from the girl's household arsenic they were strict, Marcus claimed. The miss was 17 astatine the clip and the property of consent successful the UAE is 18.

Eventually the girl, who is present 18, flew backmost to Britain - and they were hoping to proceed their narration backmost home. However, earlier Marcus and his household were owed to instrumentality to the UK, police knocked connected their edifice country doorway and took the teen into custody without explanation.

According to Detained successful Dubai, which campaigns for radical it says person suffered injustice, Marcus was held for 3 days during which helium couldn't telephone oregon talk to his parents. DID said that Marcus past learnt that the girl's mum had not known astir their narration portion connected vacation and had allegedly reported him to Dubai authorities aft uncovering their messages connected her daughter's phone.

Marcus is enduring a surviving "nightmare" stuck unsocial successful Dubai and facing the anticipation of 20 years successful prison. He said his parents person hard to instrumentality to Britain to enactment and are spending £2,000 per period to enactment him portion helium stays successful Airbnbs there.

He said: "I'm surviving successful Airbnbs that are costing my household £2,000 per month. They had to spell location to work. They gain a humble living: my parent is simply a cleaner and my dada works successful a warehouse. They saved up for this one-off vacation and they person present utilized each of their savings.

"The constabulary demanded 10,000 AED (£2,154) for bail which I've been told is not mean and the costs are mounting. I'm present each alone. I commune this nightmare volition beryllium implicit and I'll beryllium location for Christmas."

Dubai has lone precocious legalised out-of-wedlock enactment for tourists - but the property of consent, which is 18, is strictly enforced, said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained successful Dubai. She added: "The miss was conscionable a fewer months younger than Marcus and helium didn't cognize that astatine the time. Since his arrest, she has turned 18 and Marcus would not beryllium facing 20 years successful jail. This is not thing Dubai should beryllium prosecuting."

Marcus and his household are present utilizing their MP, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, to intervene successful the case. While the London teen is nary longer successful a constabulary cell, helium has to enactment successful the UAE until the lawsuit is resolved.

The Mirror has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.