Stijdenincorporating Jail R Magazine Britain's Biggest Weekly Student Newspaper April 26, 1996
26 APR 1!:":i'j They think it's all over HOW DID MIR TEAM WORE OVER THE EASIER VOW CUISSIFIED RESULTS SERVICE: TOTAL FOOTSAEL. PAGE 17 STIJDENIncorporating jail r magazine Britain's biggest weekly student newspaper April 26, 1996 THEY TREATED ME LIKE A TERRORIST' SAYS JAILED STUDENT Thrown in solitary for losing passport B MARTIN ARNOLD. CHIEF REPORTER A SPANISH field trip turned into a r nightmare for student Mark Vinton when RADIO DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN airport police refused him entry and threw him in solitary confinement. Heavy-handed officials bundled Mark into a cell because he could not produce his passport - it had been lost in the post. Yet hours before the trip Mark had received a special fax from Spanish immigration officials authorising his entry to the country. Airport police dismissed it and locked Mark away, while tutors pleaded in vain for his release, Mark was stopped as he arrived with a group of 60 other Leeds University students and four lecturers. -They thought I was a terrorist.," said Mark. tried to reason v.ith them but they juvi wouldn't listen." Astonished Spanish police detained the astonished student in solitary confinement for more than seven hours as they sought to deport him back to Britain. It was only after an intervention by the Home Office that he was filially released and allowed to rejoin the Leeds $roup. University staff who attempted to intervene through their travel agent had been told nobody would be allowed to speak to Mark as he ramd immediate di:potation.