Baptiste freed following customs blunder

Former West Indies fast bowler Eldine Baptiste has been released by customs officials following his detention at London's Gatwick airport on Sunday.

Baptiste was stopped by officials on arrival from Antigua, and tests on golf balls he had in his possession erroneously revealed traces of cocaine. Customs subsequently admitted that they were mistaken. "More in-depth tests have shown that no cocaine was found," a spokeswoman told the BBC.

Baptiste appeared in front of magistrates on Monday and was remanded in cutody, but the error came to light on Tuesday.

Sir Ronald Sanders, the Antigua and Barbuda high commissioner in London, recommended that Baptiste should take action against the authorities. "It's totally unacceptable and I will urge him to do something about it," Sanders said. "I cannot tell you how angry I am when he has been made to suffer so. If the balls had not been retested, he could have gone to jail for 10 years."

Baptiste is currently coach of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and was in Antigua for the West Indies v Australia Test.