Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has denied being arrested at an airport in Portugal after arriving with a shotgun he intended to use in a clay pigeon shooting competition.

Ecclestone, 95, said he was stopped and questioned by four police officers and customs officials at the Tires Aerodrome in Cascais on Monday after arriving from Switzerland.

The British businessman told the Press Association he had to “surrender” the weapon he travelled with as he did not have the right documents to correctly import it.

Ecclestone, who was in charge of F1 for nearly 40 years until 2017, said the Portuguese police were “very helpful” and rejected reports he had been arrested.

“I was going to take part in a clay pigeon shooting competition in Portugal,” said Ecclestone.

“I went to see the police and said, ‘What can I do for you?’ And they said, ‘We would like some information on this gun you brought in’.”

Ecclestone added he had already taken his shotgun from England to Switzerland and said he anticipated no problems as the airport officials know him “very well”.

However, on arrival he was questioned by police for about an hour and was asked to hand over the weapon as he did not have the official documents to bring it into the country.

The incident marks the second time Ecclestone has encountered airport issues regarding firearms. In 2022, he was arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane to Switzerland and was ordered to pay 6,000 Brazilian reals (£1,000) to the local authorities.