A British IT consultant is stuck in Dubai facing an offensive behaviour charge after sticking his finger up to a driver while holidaying in the oil-rich state.

Jamil Ahmed Mukadam, from Leicester, is now expecting a court date and if convicted faces up to six months in jail, according to his legal advisers, after being detained under the emirate’s strict federal laws.

The incident happened in February as the 23-year-old took his wife to the airport in a hire car after a driver started tail-gating and flashing their lights.

However, the first he knew of a problem was when he was detained at Dubai border control and his passport seized, after arriving for another break on September 10.

He was then kept in a locked cell at Bur Dubai police station for two days, before being bailed.

He is said to be short of cash, while awaiting a formal charge.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are assisting a British man who was detained in Dubai and remain in contact with the local authorities.”