Kelis: Briton abused me at airport in Spain, not London

Airport workers in the capital were off the hook today after it emerged that American R&B star Kelis, who claimed she was subjected to racist abuse while queuing at passport control, was in Spain and not London when the incident happened.

She had complained on Twitter that a Briton, a "red-faced, sweaty man", accused her of queue jumping, called her a "slave" and dismissed her as "probably a disgusting Nigerian", and that a desk officer at passport control had "laughed".

Mayor Boris Johnson wrote to immigration minister Damian Green about the claim, saying that with the Olympics in mind, the capital's reputation was at stake. He also wrote urging UK Border Agency chief Rob Whiteman to remind staff they are "the face and voice of modern Britain".

But Kelis, 32, has tweeted again to explain that the alleged incident happened at passport control in Spain after a flight from Gatwick.

"I landed in Spain and that's when a fat, pink-faced British guy who was on the plane with me called me a slave, and said to call him sir," she wrote.

A City Hall source told the Standard: "We'd appreciate in future if people like Kelis were more careful in their use of language about London and not suggest that something has happened in the capital when it hasn't.

"Boris is proud of London's reputation as a tolerant, diverse city. But the letter Boris wrote to the UK Border Agency still stands. There are concerns and passport control staff are the first people that visitors to London meet.

"Kelis raised wider issues about race in Britain and the Mayor wanted to address that."