A MANAGING director was handcuffed and shackled with heavy chains during a business trip to America because of a speeding fine he received more than six years ago.

James Winder, who runs Gordian Knot, an electronics firm based in the Enterprise Centre on Medway City Estate, was arrested and kept in custody for more than 12 hours.

Mr Winder claims he was treated like a common criminal and the authorities did not care that he was offering to pay the outstanding fine.

His drama began when he arrived at Atlanta Airport and made his way through to migration on May 15.

Mr Winder said: "Since I received the speeding fine I have visited the country 10 times and have never been arrested before. At the time of the ticket I tried to pay, but was told they could no process my fine because I was not an American citizen.

"The people in migration told me there was a warrant out for my arrest and asked me did I remember getting the ticket. I told them I did remember and asked them if I could pay it now to sort this whole matter out - unfortunately they were not interested."

Mr Winder was then taken to Fulton County Jail without his luggage and thrown into a cell with some scary-looking criminals.

He added: "It was really scary and no one was listening to me. I was in down town Atlanta, it was a Saturday night and you can imagine the type of people I was locked up with."

Later that evening Mr Winder was taken to Roswell Police Station, which is in the small town where he first got the ticket.

He said: "I'd already been fingerprinted and my mugshot taken, but no one cared. They went through the whole process again. They threw me in another cell and I was in custody for about 12 horrible hours. I will never forget it. This sort of thing wouldn't happen in this country."

Mr Winder was eventually told he could bail himself and had to pay over £400 for his freedom.