A British man was sentenced to four years in jail in Dubai for 'possession' of an amount of cannabis weighing less than a grain of sugar

A British man was sentenced to four years in jail in Dubai for 'possession' of an amount of cannabis weighing less than a grain of sugar. He had trodden on the remains of a smoked joint.

A British man sentenced to four years in jail in Dubai after cannabis weighing less than a grain of sugar was found embedded in the tread of his shoe has reportedly been pardoned.

The English language paper 7Days said Keith Andrew Brown was released early from prison in the Western-orientated emirate.

The 43-year-old was arrested in September at Dubai International Airport.

Customs officers found 0.003 grams (0.0001 ounces) of cannabis in a cigarette stub stuck on the sole of one his shoes.

The UAE - a popular destination for British tourists - imposes tough penalties for all drug-related offences.

Four years is the usual sentence for possession while trafficking is punishable by death.

On February 19 the British dance act, DJ Grooverider, was sentenced to four years in prison for drug possession after trace amounts of marijuana was found in his luggage in November.

The charity Fair Trials Abroad has said it also has reports of a Swiss national being jailed after three poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes.

The UAE's tough stance on drugs includes bans on many over-the-counter medications, including melatonin, which is taken to ease the effects of jetlag, and codeine, a common ingredient in pain relievers.

Visitors to Dubai and Abu Dhabi are now being advised to "take extreme caution" and "avoid arrest for 'possession' of a controlled substance".