A WEYMOUTH filmmaker has been deported from Syria, where he was filming a terrorism documentary.

Gareth Unwin had just flown into the country when Syrian officials found out what the BBC programme was about.

Mr Unwin said: "Once they found out the programme content our cover was blown and we were brought before the Ministry for Information and told we had to leave on the next available flight.

"It was rather a comical end, as rather than being marched out to the airport at gunpoint we were taken back by the Syrian version of Laurel and Hardy."

Mr Unwin travelled to the world's most dangerous regions to make the documentary, which should go out in a primetime slot on BBC1, hopefully at the end of July.

Mr Unwin worked as production manager and first assistant director on the production, which took the crew to places such as northern Pakistan, the Gaza Strip, Syria and Beirut.

Mr Unwin said: "It will look at the reasons behind the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. In particular we will be looking at the two British men, Asif Hanif and Omar Sharif, who travelled to Israel to carry out a suicide bombing in February 2003. They became the first British nationals to carry out a suicide attack.

"Though many of the areas we went to could have been hostile we were only occasionally protected by armed guards while we were filming. We also used local knowledge and local crew members to increase our safety."

Although Mr Unwin's previous jobs have seen him travelling all over the world, he admitted that this was different to his usual work.

He said: "I'm used to stuff like drama and feature films. This is real we were talking to victims of the bombings ."

Mr Unwin studied a BTEC in media at Weymouth College before going to the Ravensbourne film school in London.