A bungling British tourist lost his cool while going through airport security - before throwing a tantrum which allegedly caused cocaine to fall from his pocket.

Suspected smuggler Marc Patrick Wharton, 42, had flown from Shanghai in China to the island of Phuket in Thailand when suspicious officers pulled him aside.

There fears appeared to have been well-founded when Marc allegedly began throwing a tantrum - rampaging through the hall before rolling on the ground.

But the apparent ploy to distract the officers backfired when 4.11 grams (0.15 ounces) of cocaine fell from his pocket.

Marc continued rolling on the ground, allegedly dusting the floor with a trail of white powder.

Footage shows Marc lying on his back as he frantically beat his chest and pleaded for help during the incident on February 18. He kicked his legs up into the air while crying in panic that he was going to die.

However, he was arrested and taken into custody to wait for a court hearing, which could see him jailed for life in a hell-hole Thai prison,

Police at the Phuket International Airport said tested the white powder he had allegedly dropped and confirmed that it was cocaine. They seized the broken plastic bag and hovered up the rest of the Class A powder which had spilled onto the carpet.

Officials said Marc had arrived on Phuket island on Juneyao Air flight HO 1323 from Shanghai but the coke had evaded Communist cops.

Police Major Akkarapon Akkraphon, immigration checkpoint inspector at the airport, said: ‘We charged the tourist with importing a Category II narcotic into the country and illegally possessing it. He was handed over to the inquiry officer of the Sakhu Police Station for legal action.'

Cocaine is classified as a 'category 2' narcotic under Thai law. Importers, producers, and exporters face jail sentences depending on the amount, with the most severe being life behind bars.

Despite the severe penalties in law, many tourists are able to 'negotiate' with Thai authorities who are not keen on footing the bill for their prison stays.

In May last year, Jamie Louis Swain, 29, from Enfield, north London, was arrested in Phuket when the immigration desk allegedly found cocaine tucked inside his passport.

Officers said that Jamie reacted with surprise, swearing, and shaking, prompting authorities to conduct further inspections.

Jamie was taken into custody and sent to court but surfaced again in England a few months later - with his mum complaining that he had been set up by the police.