TV star Paul O’Grady has told of a brush with US border officials who claimed he was a communist.

The presenter, who lives at Aldington, told listeners to his BBC Radio 2 show that he was taken for questioning at Miami airport by over-zealous staff who thought he had a funny accent.

He was then held for more than two hours accused of being an illegal alien from Cuba.

He said: “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.”

He was later released after officers studied his passport and found he had no connections with Cuba.