Leon Baptiste, the British Athletics coach who had not been heard from since visiting Morocco around two months ago, is being held in prison in Marrakech, it has emerged.

Baptiste, 41, who coaches a number of elite athletes, is believed to have gone to Morocco for the weekend with friends. As of last weekend he had not been heard from since by his athletes or the UK Athletics officials who pay him as a Loughborough-based consultant, with messages to his phone not returned.

The Moroccan Ministry of Justice said: “According to the information available to the Moroccan authorities, Mr Baptiste did not disappear, nor had he lost contact with his surroundings.

“He is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following his conviction by the competent judicial authorities in connection with a misdemeanour case.”

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson told the BBC: “We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities.”