'Our brother was locked up on a stag do in Vietnam - we are in bits'

A family said they are in a 'nightmare situation' after their brother was locked up in Vietnam while on a stag do.

James Ryan, from Kirkby in Merseyside, travelled to the Southeast Asian country country for nearly two weeks with a number of others on a stag do, the Liverpool Echo reports. But the 29-year-old was arrested after an incident at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Vietnam in the middle of May.

A month on, James' family said they are 'in bits' and 'so worried' about him after having 'limited contact' with him and not knowing exactly where he is, despite repeated requests for information from the British embassy. They initially thought he had gone missing - only to find out he had been locked up.

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James' older brother Carl, 39, said: "My mum is in bits and my dad is so worried. We're so stressed about what is going to happen and are just extremely concerned for his well-being and safety."

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told the ECHO: "We are in contact with the local authorities following the arrest of a British national in Vietnam." When approached with the Ryan family's claims, the spokesperson declined to comment further.

James' family claims he was arrested for the alleged theft of a bottle of aftershave, which they believe may have happened because James had lost his wallet and needed more money. Carl, who said a theft would be extremely out of character, said the family initially had contact with James as he was allowed to keep his phone.

They claim he was able to update them with voice notes about his whereabouts and told them he believed he was being kept in an