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Muslim dad stopped from going to US tells of family 'devastation'

A father whose family holiday to Disneyland in the US was cancelled at the last minute by border officials has told of their "devastation".

Fitness instructor Mohammad Tariq Mahmood was among 11 members of his family hoping to fly from Gatwick to Los Angeles - but told ITV News they were pulled from the queue to board the plane by a border control officer who asked to see their passports.

Religion, faith and spiritual beliefs of travellers are "not determining factors" when deciding whether of not they are allowed to enter the United States, the US Customs and Border Protection office said.

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British dad denies link to 'radical Islamist Facebook page'

Video report by Security Editor Rohit Kachroo

A British father whose family were barred from boarding a flight to the United States has denied that any of them are responsible for a Facebook account claiming links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Mohammad Tariq Mahmood and his family were pulled from a queue at Gatwick airport and told they would not be able to fly to Los Angeles for a trip to Disneyland, though say they were not given a reason for the decision.

Since their story was initially reported, ITV News has discovered that a Facebook page claiming links to radical Islamist groups was set up by someone who has lived at the family's postal address.

The account, in the name of Hamza Hussain, lists the job titles "supervisor at Taliban and leader at al-Qaeda" - suggesting it may have been published as a joke.

Asked about the account, Mr Mahmood - whose son's name is also Hamza - said hackers may be to blame, adding: "That could be anything, maybe a mistake."

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Muslim dad stopped from going to US tells of family 'devastation'

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