Uganda 'deports' David Cecil, producer of gay play

David Cecil has a girlfriend and young family in Kampala

Uganda has deported a UK theatre producer who ran into trouble over a play about the condition of gay people, a UK embassy spokesman has said.

David Cecil was arrested last September for "disobeying lawful orders" as it was performed without authorisation. The charges were subsequently dropped.

He was rearrested last week as proceedings to deport him began on the grounds he was an "undesirable person".

Homosexual acts are illegal in socially conservative Uganda.

Mr Cecil, who has a Ugandan girlfriend and two children in the capital, Kampala, was arrested by immigration officers last Wednesday.

A British foreign office spokesman told the BBC that Mr Cecil was deported on Monday evening.

"We are concerned that he was deported without being given an opportunity to challenge the deportation order through the Ugandan courts," he said.

The play which caused the controversy - the River and the Mountain - told the story of a gay businessman killed by his own employees

It was performed at two theatres in Kampala last August.

Last month a court threw out the case against Mr Cecil because of a lack of evidence.

Gay people have faced physical attacks and social rejection in Uganda.

In 2011, activist David Kato was beaten to death but police denied this was related to his sexuality.

The Ugandan parliament is considering legislation aimed at increasing penalties for homosexual acts.