Officers on the Isle of Man held the suspect last night – 48 hours after the British Crown dependency passed emergency legislation to tackle the virus on the island in the Irish Sea.

Police have been instructed to arrest anyone who arrives on the island who fails to isolate for a 14-day period, even if they show no symptoms.

The arrested man, who has not been named, is the first Briton to be arrested for breaching strict quarantine rules which have been imposed in an effort to stop the spread of the killer virus.

He is now facing a fine of up to £10,000 and could be jailed for three months if found guilty and will appear in court in Douglas today after being taken into custody.