Bernie Ecclestone denies arrest after shotgun stopped by Portuguese police

Former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, 95, has said he was stopped and questioned at the Tires Aerodrome in Cascais, Portugal, on Monday after arriving from Switzerland with a shotgun intended for use in a clay pigeon shooting competition.

Speaking to the Press Association, Ecclestone said he had to hand over the weapon because he lacked the correct documentation to import it into the country. He rejected reports suggesting he had been arrested, describing the Portuguese police as "very helpful".

According to Ecclestone, four police and customs officials questioned him for about an hour. He said he approached the officers himself, asking what he could do for them, and was told they wanted information about the gun he had brought into the country.

Ecclestone noted he had previously transported the same shotgun from England to Switzerland without issue and had not expected problems this time, as airport staff know him well. Despite this, he was asked to surrender the weapon due to the missing paperwork.

Ecclestone led Formula 1 for nearly 40 years until 2017. This is not the first time he has faced firearm-related trouble at an airport — in 2022 he was arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane bound for Switzerland, and was ordered to pay a fine of 6,000 Brazilian reals, around £1,000.