A British mother is facing jail in Dubai after branding her ex-husband an “idiot” and his new wife a “horse” on Facebook, campaigners say.

Laleh Sharavesh, 55, lives in London but was detained by authorities in the United Arab Emirates last month when she attempted to attend the funeral of her former partner.

Her arrest stemmed from two Facebook comments she made on pictures of her husband re-marrying in 2016, which his new wife sent to police, according to Campaign group Detained in Dubai.

She had been in Britain when she posted the comments, but her ex-husband and his wife were living in Dubai.

Under the cybercrime laws of the desert kingdom, someone can be jailed for making defamatory comments online, even if they were not in the country at the time.

It means Ms Sharavesh could now face a jail sentence of up to two years and a fine of £50,000, the campaign group said.

She has been forced to remain in Dubai in a hotel as she awaits a court appearance, losing her job and plunging into debt in the process, it is claimed.

Her passport has also been confiscated and her 14-year-old daughter had to fly home by herself.