A Witney businessman who has been trapped in the Middle East for nearly five years is a free man after a travel ban was lifted.

Jonathan Brown has not seen his four children or family since he was barred from leaving the Gulf State of Oman in August 2000.

The 57-year-old was even forced to miss his mother Ruth Brown's funeral in May 2002.

The crisis arose after Mr Brown was unable to pay a £10,000 fine, imposed by a civil court, arising from a business project which was set up under a joint British-Omani development programme.

His sister, Serena Martin, of Eastfield Road, Witney, said she was delighted for her brother but she had found the past five years extremely upsetting.

She said: "It is a brilliant Christmas present. It has not been a happy experience so it is an end to a really long struggle."

Mr Brown and his second wife, Maryette, 43, have been living with friends while pursuing their legal battle to let him leave Oman.

Mrs Martin said the fine had also been revoked, but the trauma had taken its toll on Mr Brown's health.

She added: "I am glad he can get out at long last. He has been stuck there for five years.

"He has missed so many things -- our mother died, we have moved house and he has never seen his nephew, my son Lincoln who is five years old now."

Mrs Martin, who is a district councillor for Witney north, said her brother planned to move to the Philippines in 2005.

The good news makes a welcome change for Mr Brown who has repeatedly had his hopes of freedom dashed.

On Christmas Day 2002 -- which is not a public holiday in the Muslim Gulf States -- he was told by appeal judges that he would not be reunited with his family. The appeal into his case was heard, and dismissed, by seven judges.

Mr Brown, who fought for years to leave the country, took his plight to the British Embassy and Witney MP David Cameron, who worked on his behalf to get the travel ban revoked.