City takeaway boss held over 'illegal entry to US'

A takeaway boss has been arrested after being accused of illegally crossing the border from Canada into the US.

Mohammed Sultan Saleh, 22, from Liverpool, is in custody in Maine along with three other men – also reported to be from the city – after being charged with unlawful entry on 3 April.

The BBC has been able to verify that Saleh – who is listed on Companies House as the sole director of Toxteth takeaway Shuga Shuga – is one of the four men.

A Foreign, Commonwealth And Development Office (FCDO) spokesman said it was "supporting four British men" who had been arrested in the US.

Saleh and three other British nationals appeared in court on Tuesday, where they pleaded not guilty to unlawfully entering the US at a location not designated as a lawful port of entry.

The BBC has learned Saleh's family were made aware of his arrest when they contacted the British Embassy after seeing media reports about his detention.

The Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection have been approached for comment.

A FCDO spokesman told the BBC: "We are supporting four British men arrested in the US and are in contact with local authorities."