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Jeremy Meeks: 'Hot felon' deported from UK 'stood no chance of gaining entry due to criminal past'

Hot felon Jeremy Meeks was deported from the UK by border officials: Instagram
Hot felon Jeremy Meeks was deported from the UK by border officials: Instagram

The "world's hottest felon" was deported after touching down at Heathrow airport because of his criminal past, it has emerged.

Jeremy Meeks, 32, effectively stood no chance of getting in to the UK due to his recent jail term in the US for a firearms offence, a Home Office spokesman told the Standard today.

The California model rose to fame in 2014 when police - who arrested him for gun charges - posted his mug shot online.

It went viral across the world as tens of thousands of people fawned over the sultry shot, with one modelling firm signing him up before he began his jail term.

Mr Meeks was released from jail in March 2016 and embarked on a successful modelling career.

He was pictured at Heathrow airport after arriving in London on Monday for a series of shoots but was deported just hours later.

A Home Office spokesman told the Standard he would not have been permitted entry under UK law because not enough time has passed since his jail term in the US.

They said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.

“All passengers attempting to enter the UK are subject to checks by Border Force officers to establish they meet the entry requirements of the immigration rules.”

Under the rules, entry is refused to anyone who has been convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment unless the required amount of years has passed.

If a person has been jailed for more than four years, they will always be refused entry. Anyone jailed for between one and four years must wait a decade, while anyone jailed for less than a year must wait five years.

'Hot felon' Jeremy Meeks was deported from the UK (Snapchat)
'Hot felon' Jeremy Meeks was deported from the UK (Snapchat)

Mr Meeks was seen in a holding area at the airport before being ordered to board a plane back to the US.

His wife and his manager Jim Jordan were reportedly at a hotel in London together.

Mr Jordan told the Mail Online: "They wouldn’t let him come into the country. He is really upset. He was police-escorted onto the plane."

Mr Meeks was apparently interviewed for eight hours, fingerprinted and searched before being told he could not enter the country.

Mr Jordan said he planned to visit the US Embassy in London to seek assistance and will also make sure Meeks’ wife can continue her trip to the UK.

He added: “[This was] the very first thing that Jeremy has done. It was his first time in London and he was all excited. It was his big debut.

“‘He was on the right track for what we feel was going to be his new life. Now he’s very sad. Hopefully this is just a setback and he will be able to come back from this.”